The Russian leader congratulates Trump on winning the US election, saying he was ready for talks with the Republican president-elect.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the United States election, saying Moscow was ready for dialogue with the Republican president-elect.
In his first public remarks since Trump’s win, Putin on Thursday praised the US leader’s courage during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 14.
“He behaved, in my opinion, in a very correct way – courageously, like a real man,” Putin said at the Valdai discussion club, an international forum, in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Asked whether he was open to holding talks with Trump, the Russian leader said, “Ready”.
Putin, 72, also said that Trump’s comments “about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserves attention at least”.
The Kremlin earlier welcomed Trump’s claim that he could negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine “in 24 hours” but emphasised that it would wait for concrete policy steps.
During his presidential campaign in the US, Trump said that he could bring peace to Ukraine within 24 hours if elected, but he has given few details on how he would seek to end the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.
As to what he expects from a second Trump administration, Putin said, “I don’t know what will happen now. I have no idea.”
“For him, this is still his last presidential term. What he will do is his matter,” Putin said.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow remembered Trump’s words on resolving the war in Ukraine but that the incoming US president “exaggerated” the speed at which he could do it.
“If the new administration is going to look for peace, not for the continuation of the war, it will be better in comparison with the previous one,” Peskov said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is scrambling to put pressure on its allies for more support in its fight against Russia following Trump’s victory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump.
“We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Wednesday.
But in his plan to end the war, Trump suggested that Ukraine might have to cede territory to Russia to reach a peace deal, something Ukraine has rejected and US President Joe Biden never suggested.
Speaking to European leaders at a summit in Hungary, Zelenskyy blasted those urging him to give in to some of Putin’s hardline demands and urged Europe and the US not to loosen ties following the election of Trump.
“There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions … It’s unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for all Europe,” Zelensky said.
“We need sufficient weapons, not support in talks. Hugs with Putin won’t help. Some of you have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse,” he said.
Zelenskyy also urged Europe and the US to preserve their strong ties following Trump’s victory.
“We do hope that America will become stronger. This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And a strong Europe is what America needs. This is the connection between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost,” he said.
Meanwhile, reports say Biden plans to rush billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine before he leaves office in January.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has already provided more than $64.1bn in military assistance to Ukraine, according to the data by the US Department of State.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described China on Thursday as Russia’s ally and threw his weight behind Beijing’s claims over Taiwan, while stating that no countries had anything to fear from deepening Sino-Russian co-operation.
The two countries have not declared a formal military alliance, but Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a “no limits” partnership deal in 2022, less than three weeks before Putin sent his troops into Ukraine.
In May this year they agreed to deepen what they called their “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” for a new era.
“We do not believe that China is pursuing an aggressive policy in the region,” Putin said at the Valdai discussion club in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
He suggested that Taiwan was trying to stir up a Ukraine-style crisis in Asia in order to attract outside support.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite strong objections by the government in Taipei, and regularly holds wargames near the island.
“A lot is going on around Taiwan,” Putin said. “Everyone formally acknowledges, yes, Taiwan is part of China. But in reality? In reality, it is acting in a completely different direction. Provoking the situation towards escalation.
“We do support China. And because of this, we believe that (China) is conducting a completely reasonable policy. And also because it is our ally. We have a very large trade turnover, we co-operate in the security sector.”
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said China and Russia were the real problem.
“The regime of Russia’s Putin launched a war of aggression against Ukraine, leading to misery for Ukraine’s people and sanctions and condemnation from the international community,” it said in a statement.
“China and Russia together continue to undermine the rule-based international order and have become a serious threat to world peace and stability.”
Putin compared military drills between Russia and China to those the United States holds with Japan.
“These exercises do not threaten anyone,” Putin said. “They are aimed at ensuring our security.”
