Putin congratulates Trump on election win in first comments on US vote
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory, marking his first comments on the U.S. vote. He praised Trump’s bravery during a July assassination attempt and noted Trump's desire to improve U.S.-Russia relations.
Putin expressed cautious optimism about Trump's willingness to negotiate an end to the Ukrainian conflict but stated that the Kremlin will wait for concrete actions. He acknowledged uncertainty about what a second Trump administration might entail.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that contact between Putin and Trump before the inauguration is possible. He emphasized that U.S.-Russia relations are at a historic low and that it is up to the new U.S. leadership to change this dynamic.