Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his recent election victory, expressing Moscow’s readiness for dialogue with the Republican president-elect. In his first public comments following Trump’s win, Putin praised Trump’s response to an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, describing Trump as having behaved “courageously, like a real man.”

The comments, made at the Valdai discussion club in Sochi, also included Putin’s openness to hold talks with Trump, saying simply, “Ready,” when asked about the possibility of meeting with the incoming president. Putin noted Trump’s previous statements about wanting to restore relations with Russia and potentially help end the conflict in Ukraine, calling these intentions “worthy of attention.”

During his campaign, Trump pledged he could bring peace to Ukraine within 24 hours if elected. The Kremlin responded with cautious optimism, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledging Trump’s ambitious claim but suggesting that he “exaggerated” the speed of achieving peace. Peskov added that Russia would welcome a new US administration willing to seek peace rather than continue the conflict.

While Putin’s remarks signal a potential thaw in US-Russia relations, questions remain about the future trajectory of the Ukraine conflict and the degree of support Ukraine can expect from the new US administration.

{Matzav.com}