Trump-Biden transition: Attorney Sidney Powell back at White House

After weeks of holding out, Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Biden on winning the presidential election following Monday's Electoral College voting affirming Biden's win.

According to the Kremlin in a statement released Tuesday, "Vladimir Putin wished the president-elect every success and expressed confidence that Russia and the United States, which bear special responsibility for global security and stability, can, despite their differences, effectively contribute to solving many problems and meeting challenges that the world is facing today."

"For my part, I am ready for interaction and contact with you," Putin added, according to the Kremlin.

While Putin has now congratulated the president-elect on his victory, Republican leadership in Congress still has not -- at least not publicly.

The nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday said that it's his "strong recommendation" that Biden and Vice President-elect Harris should receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as its available to them.

"For security reasons, I really feel strongly we should get them vaccinated as soon as we can and want him fully protected as he enters the presidency in January. That's my strong recommendation," Fauci said. 

When asked Monday about Biden’s plans to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a transition official told ABC News the president-elect is in touch with Fauci, and plans to take the vaccine in public when he recommends he do so. 

Fauci added that if Trump were to seek his advice on the vaccine, he would also recommend that he and Vice President Mike Pence receive the vaccine, even though the president already had COVID-19 and likely has some protective antibodies. 

"We're not sure how long that protection lasts, so to be doubly sure I would recommend that he get vaccinated as well as the vice president," he said. 

Fauci, who is advising the current administration and plans to serve as Biden's chief medical adviser on the pandemic, has said he thought he would get vaccinated himself publicly "within a week."

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Shannon Crawford

Election officials in Washington have received violent threats online, according to Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman.

Those threats include images of officials with scope crosshairs over their profiles, and their home and email addresses being made public.

"This continued escalation of harassing and threatening behavior in the public sphere has to stop," Wyman said in a statement Monday. "Sites like this are appalling and have no space in our democracy and the peaceful transition of power."

Washington's 12 electoral votes went to Biden.

Wyman said while the state will continue to take accusations of voter fraud seriously, "my office has yet to receive evidence of massive voter fraud."

Washington House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox and Senate Republican Leader John Braun condemned the violent rhetoric Monday and affirmed trust with the state's election results and officials.

“We have recently seen shocking evidence of a threat to a Washington state election official... The harassment and threats to state election officials must stop. We categorically denounce these actions and any threats of political violence," the pair said in a statement Monday. “We continue to have confidence in the 2020 election results in our state and the work of Secretary of State Kim Wyman and her staff over the last several years."

President-elect Joe Biden ended his first speech following the Electoral College vote with an appeal to all Americans to unite as the coronavirus continues to spread.

He acknowledged the latest grim milestone in the pandemic, 300,000 Americans killed by the virus.

"My heart goes out to each of you in this dark winter of the pandemic, about to spend the holidays and the new year with a black hole in your hearts, without the ones you loved at your side," he said.

Just as he did during his speech on Nov. 7 when he was declared the winner of the presidential election, Biden invoked his Catholic faith in his call for comfort and cited the prayer of St. Francis.

"For where there is discord, union. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is darkness, light," Biden said.

Biden reiterated that he will be a "president for all Americans" and called on everyone to "lower the temperature" and come together.

"We're a great nation. We're good people. We may come from different places, hold different beliefs, but we share in common a love for this country, a belief in its limitless possibilities," he said. "For we, the United States of America, has always set the example for the world, for a peaceful transition of power."