President Vladimir Putin on Thursday offered his first public congratulations to Donald Trump on winning the US election during an international forum after delivering a speech in Sochi, a Black Sea resort.
Putin noted that Trump’s expressed “desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis” warranted consideration.
Whilst the Kremlin welcomed Trump’s assertion about resolving the Ukrainian conflict “in 24 hours”, they indicated they would await specific policy initiatives.
During the conference’s question-and-answer session, Putin said, “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States of America.”
Regarding expectations for Trump’s second term, Putin expressed uncertainty, saying, “I don’t know what will happen now. I have no idea.” He added, “For him, this is still his last presidential term. What he will do is his matter.”
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, highlighted that Russia considers the US an “unfriendly” nation directly involved in Ukraine. He noted that bilateral relations are at their “lowest point in history”, suggesting that improving ties depends on new US leadership.
The Kremlin’s reserved stance reflected its view of the US election as a choice between two unfavourable options. Despite Trump’s known admiration for Putin, the Russian leader has noted that Trump’s first term saw unprecedented sanctions against Russia.