On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory, marking his first comments on the U.S. election.
He praised the president-elect’s bravery during the assassination attempt in July, stating, “His behavior at the moment of an attempt on his life left an impression on me. He turned out to be a brave man.” Putin further emphasized, “He manifested himself in the very correct way, bravely as a man.”
Putin also remarked on Trump’s expressed desire to restore relations with Russia and to help resolve the Ukrainian crisis, saying, “In my opinion, this deserves attention at least.”
Earlier, the Kremlin had welcomed Trump’s assertion that he could negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine “in 24 hours,” but stressed that it would wait for tangible policy actions. During a Q&A session at an international forum in Sochi, Putin extended his congratulations to Trump on his election as President of the United States.
When asked about expectations for a second Trump administration, Putin replied, “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, who is currently serving his fifth term as president, is expected to remain in power until 2030 and may pursue an additional six-year term after that.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also mentioned the possibility of contact between Putin and Trump before the inauguration, citing Trump’s statement that he would call Putin beforehand. However, Peskov reaffirmed that Russia sees the U.S. as an “unfriendly” nation, particularly due to its involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. He downplayed concerns that the delay in reaching out to Trump could damage future relations, noting that U.S.-Russia ties are already at their “lowest point in history.” Peskov further argued that it would be up to the new U.S. leadership to change the situation.
The Kremlin’s cautious stance reflected its view of the U.S. election as a choice between two unappealing options. While Trump has expressed admiration for Putin, the Russian leader pointed out that Trump’s first term was marked by numerous sanctions and restrictions against Russia, more than any previous U.S. president had imposed.
