Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US election, paving the way for his grand return to the White House as the 47th president. In his first public comments on the outcome of the US elections, the Russian leader said he was ready to talk with Trump, stressing his desire to restore ties with Russia and work toward ending the war in Ukraine. Emphasized the need to give priority.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States,” Putin said during an international forum after a speech in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Putin said that what Trump has said “about the desire to restore relations with Russia, about helping to end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserves at least attention.”
On what he expected from Trump’s second presidency, Putin said, “I don’t know what will happen now. I don’t know.”
Putin said, “For him, this is still his last presidential term. What he will do is his matter.”
The Russian president also said he was impressed by how Trump handled himself after an assassination attempt in July, calling Trump a “brave man.” Putin said, “I was impressed by Trump’s behavior during the assassination attempt. He is brave. He did the right thing as a person. Not sure what he will do now.”
On reports of a possible phone call between the two leaders before the inauguration ceremony in January, Putin said, “Don’t think that it is wrong to have a call with Trump. If some world leaders want to restore contacts, I am not against it.” We are ready to talk to Trump.