German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on his colleagues in the European Union to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the impact of the US presidential elections, which were won by the Republican nominee Donald Trump. Many European leaders indirectly supported Trump's rival Hillary Clinton during the election campaign in the US, and now they are disappointed. Russia, on the contrary, viewed Trump as a more acceptable option.
As for the economy, the Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that we should not expect a major impact of the US election results on the ruble exchange rate: "The Russian financial markets have shown a restrained reaction to the event. This is a welcome fact, because the undertaken fiscal and monetary policy have been directed to stabilize expectations and reduce dependence on external factors.
As for the political aspect, then, according to the chairman of the anti-terrorism coordinating council, the deputy secretary of the Russian Public Chamber, Sergey Ordzhonikidze, "Moscow is ready to build good relations with the US, but Russia has its own geopolitical interests, which it will defend".
Commenting on Trump's victory, Ordzhonikidze noted that for Americans he is a symbol of success, who started with nothing and became a billionaire. "If you spend the whole day working, and the Americans work hard and seriously, pay your taxes, and see a neighbor who does not work and live on welfare, doing nothing, then, they hope that Trump may change this situation. As for the international aspect, the US can no longer rule the world. Trump understands it. Clinton understands it to a lesser extent," Ordzhonikidze said.
According to him, many Americans like tension relations with Russia. "These are two nuclear powers, world peace depends on relations between them. They can destroy not only each other, but the whole world. Trump is more reasonable and offers a better policy, than Clinton offered. But US president is a person who is surrounded by closest aides, closest advisers and services of various kinds. You may look at the example of the FBI director to see their behavior - he accuses, drops charges, accuses again. When a person enters the Oval office, the people, which have never been elected, and about which we know nothing, begin to push him. But they start having an unconditional serious impact on him".
