- By Aashish Vashistha
- Fri, 08 Nov 2024 07:55 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
In his first public response to the US election results, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his historic victory on Thursday. Putin also said that Trump wanted to restore relations with Russia to help end the Ukrainian crisis.
"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States of America,” Putin said during the question-and-answer session of a conference in Sochi, a Black Sea resort.
The Russian President also expressed willingness to dialogue with Trump. When asked by a forum moderator if he was ready for such discussions, Putin responded, "We are ready." "Russia didn't ruin relations with the US and is open to reviving them, but the ball is in the Americans' court,” Putin said.
Putin also expressed uncertainty regarding the potential direction of US foreign policy under a second term for former President Donald Trump. "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."
The Russian President also praised Trump for the way he survived a assassination bid this year. “His behaviour at the moment of an attempt on his life left an impression on me. He turned out to be a brave man,” Putin said.
The Kremlin faced widespread accusations of interfering in the 2016 presidential election to support Donald Trump's campaign against Hillary Clinton, allegations that Moscow denied.
Trump has been a vocal critic of the scale of US military aid to Ukraine, which has exceeded USD 100 billion since Russia's invasion in 2022. His comments have raised concerns in Kyiv and among European Union leaders, who worry that Trump’s return to the White House, might push for a peace settlement that could favour Moscow’s terms.