Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on his election win, expressing Moscow’s openness to dialogue with the Republican leader. Putin commended Trump’s resilience and courage, referencing an assassination attempt Trump faced during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 14.
“He behaved, in my opinion, in a very correct way – courageously, like a real man,” Putin remarked at the Valdai Discussion Club, an international forum in Sochi.
When asked about the possibility of holding talks with Trump, Putin responded, “Ready.” He noted that Trump’s expressed commitment to improving U.S.-Russia relations and potentially helping to resolve the Ukraine conflict merits attention, adding, “Trump’s comments about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserve attention at least.”
While the Kremlin responded positively to Trump’s claim that he could end the Ukraine conflict “in 24 hours,” it stated that it would wait for concrete policy actions before making further remarks.