File photo of US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin | Photo credit: AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on Thursday (November 7, 2024). his election victory in his first public comment on the US vote, and he praised the president-elect’s courage during the July assassination attempt.
“His behavior at the moment of an attempt on his life made an impression on me. He proved to be a brave man,” Putin told an international forum after a speech in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
“He manifested himself in a very correct way, brave as a man,” he added.
Putin also said that what Trump has said “about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, at least deserves attention.”
The Kremlin earlier welcomed Trump’s assertion that he could negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine “in 24 hours” but stressed that it will await concrete political action.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States,” Putin said in a question-and-answer session at the conference.
As for what he expects from a second Mr. 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 business,” added Putin, who this year began a fifth term that will keep him in power until 2030 and can seek six more years in office after .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that the Kremlin is not ruling out the possibility of contact between Putin and Trump before the inauguration, given that Trump “said he would call Putin before the inauguration.”
Peskov has emphasized that Moscow sees the United States as an “unfriendly” country directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. He dismissed arguments that Putin’s failure to reach out quickly to Trump could damage future ties, saying Moscow’s relations with Washington are already at the “lowest point in history” and arguing that it will be up to the new U.S. management to change the situation.
The Kremlin’s cautious stance reflected its view of the US vote as a choice between two unpalatable options. While Trump is known for his admiration for Putin, the Russian leader has repeatedly noted that during Trump’s first term there were “so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia that no other president has ever imposed before him.”
Published – November 8, 2024 07:13 IST
