By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) – Russians following the US presidential election are largely of the view that Donald Trump’s return to the White House could lead to an improvement of ties between Washington and Moscow.
The reasoning on Moscow’s streets is rooted in views of Trump’s previous term, which Russians say had indicators of progress, especially his interactions with President Vladimir Putin.
“Trump is more in touch with our president, so it will be easier to establish relations with him than with (Joe) Biden, (Kamala) Harris, and their supporters,” Evgeny, a resident of the Russian capital, told Anadolu.
Arina, another Moscow resident, backed his assessment, saying she believes a Trump administration would boost chances of better bilateral relations.
“There’s hope for improvement with a president who seeks better ties with Russia,” she said.
Another woman Diana described Trump as “a more peaceful candidate” who “accomplished a lot for his own nation.”
“Relations between Russia and the US are not great now, as America has distanced itself and allied with Ukraine, but we still love America. I believe relations could improve under Trump,” she said.
There were some with diverging views as well, such as Svetlana, who said she knew little about Harris, but pointed out that Putin himself once described Biden as a more predictable “old-school” politician.
“He (Putin) was asked about Biden or Trump, and he said Biden because he is more predictable, old-school, and Trump is unpredictable,” she said.
“The fact is that I haven’t watched TV for three weeks now, so I can’t say anything about Harris. We hope only for the best,” she said.
There were also some others who knew nothing about Trump, Harris, or US politics in general.
“I do not know either Trump or Harris. I have no idea who they are, and I live happily,” Moscow resident Yekaterina told Anadolu.
“I think regardless of who wins, the situation will definitely improve. Maybe not right away, maybe it will take more time, but it will definitely be better. Let’s hope so.”
Another man, Aleksander, offered a unique third option: tech mogul Elon Musk as US president.
“Neither Trump nor Biden suits us, as both aim to dominate the world,” he said.
“Musk is our man. He’s smart, he’s rich, he doesn’t have much to conquer. He has already achieved what he wanted. He’s the right fit for us.”