As the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in the United States became clear, many Russians began to reflect on what the result might mean for Russia’s position in global affairs. While most Russians did not have a preference for the winner, the fierce political contestation in the US attracted massive attention, and not merely because of the entertainment value. Official Kremlin propaganda has unsuccessfully sought to present this exercise of public will on the other side of the world as a political circus or to interpret the divisions within the US electorate as a profound crisis of democracy. The predictions of violent chaos in the streets of Washington, DC, and other US cities were disappointed; and in the days of meticulous counting of votes, Russians have had time to contemplate the issues that motivated millions of Americans to opt for change – or against it.
OP-ED
Pavel Baev: Russians contemplate importance of US elections for Russia
People celebrate on Black Lives Matter plaza across from the White House in Washington, DC on Nov. 7, 2020, after Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
