Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Trump on his election victory and expressed readiness for dialogue. This marks Putin’s first public statement regarding the U.S. election. The Kremlin had previously maintained that Putin had no plans to congratulate Trump, consistently viewing the U.S. as a hostile nation.
According to RIA Novosti and Reuters, Putin took the opportunity during the Valdai Discussion Club (Sochi, Russia) conference to congratulate Trump on his election as U.S. President on Thursday.
He further noted that he is willing to collaborate with any head of state who trusts the American people. When questioned about his openness to mutual dialogue, he reaffirmed his readiness.
Putin commented that he sees some value in the desire to restore relations with Russia to address the Ukraine crisis.
He added that European leaders had previously contacted him weekly about ending the war, only to cease communication abruptly. He stated he would not initiate contact with Trump.
Putin emphasized, “I very much expect that our relationship with the United States will eventually be restored,” indicating that the ball is now in America’s court.
Commenting on the assassination attempt on Trump during the U.S. election campaign, Putin said, “His behavior at the moment of an attempt on his life left an impression on me. He turned out to be a brave man.”
When asked about the overall outlook for Trump’s potential second term, he expressed uncertainty, stating that it is difficult to predict what will happen. He noted that since this would be Trump’s final presidential term, his decisions will ultimately be up to him.
In a phone interview with NBC on the same day, Trump mentioned that he has not spoken with Putin since the election but plans to do so soon.
Trump disclosed that he has spoken with leaders from approximately seventy countries since his victory was confirmed on Thursday morning. He mentioned talking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he didn’t reveal specific details. He also noted that his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “excellent.”
During an appearance on CNN in April, Trump declared that if he returned to the White House, he would meet with Putin to resolve the Ukraine conflict. He claimed, “If I were President, I would end the war within 24 hours.”
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