Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on profitable the US election and mentioned Moscow was prepared for talks with the Republican president-elect.
In his first public feedback since Trump’s victory, Putin on Thursday praised the American chief’s bravery throughout an assassination try at a marketing campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 14.
“For my part, he behaved in a really appropriate means: bravely, like an actual man,” Putin mentioned on the Valdai dialogue membership, a world discussion board, within the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Requested if he was keen to carry talks with Trump, the Russian chief mentioned: “Prepared.”
Putin, 72, additionally mentioned that Trump’s feedback “concerning the need to revive relations with Russia, to assist finish the Ukrainian disaster, in my view, deserve a minimum of consideration.”
Beforehand, the Kremlin welcomed Trump’s assertion that he may negotiate an finish to the battle in Ukraine “inside 24 hours,” however pressured that it will await concrete coverage measures.
Throughout his US presidential marketing campaign, Trump mentioned he may convey peace to Ukraine inside 24 hours if elected, however he has given few particulars about how he would search to finish the most important floor warfare in Europe since World Battle II.
As for what he expects from a second Trump administration, Putin mentioned: “I do not know what’s going to occur now. I do not know.”
“For him, this stays his final presidential time period. What he does is his enterprise,” Putin mentioned.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Moscow remembered Trump’s phrases about resolving the warfare in Ukraine, however that the incoming US president “exaggerated” the pace with which it may accomplish that.
“If the brand new administration goes to hunt peace and never the continuation of warfare, it is going to be higher in comparison with the earlier one,” Peskov mentioned.
In the meantime, Ukraine is working to stress its allies for extra help in its combat in opposition to Russia following Trump’s victory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of many first world leaders to congratulate Trump.
“We agreed to take care of shut dialogue and advance our cooperation. “Robust and unwavering American management is important to the world and to a simply peace,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a publish on X on Wednesday.
However in his plan to finish the warfare, Trump recommended that Ukraine might need to cede territory to Russia to achieve a peace deal, one thing Ukraine has rejected and US President Joe Biden by no means recommended.
Chatting with European leaders at a summit in Hungary, Zelenskyy criticized these urging him to present in to a few of Putin’s hardline calls for and urged Europe and the USA to not loosen ties after Trump’s election.
“There was numerous speak about the necessity to give in to Putin, again down, make some concessions… It’s unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for all of Europe,” Zelensky mentioned.
“We want sufficient weapons, not help in talks. Hugs with Putin will not assist. “A few of you could have been embracing it for 20 years and issues are solely getting worse,” he mentioned.
Zelenskyy additionally urged Europe and the USA to protect their robust ties following Trump’s victory.
“We hope that the USA turns into stronger. That is the form of America Europe wants. And what the USA wants is a powerful Europe. “That is the connection between allies that should be valued and can’t be misplaced,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, stories say Biden plans to ship billions of {dollars} in safety help to Ukraine earlier than leaving workplace in January.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the USA has already supplied greater than $64.1 billion in navy help to Ukraine, in accordance with information from the US State Division.
