Putin expresses willingness to engage in dialogue with a “courageous” Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US election, saying that he was ready to speak with the “courageous” incoming US President.

In his first public comment on the outcome of the US polls, the Russian leader on Thursday emphasised the need to restore US-Russia relations and work toward ending the war in Ukraine.

Putin made the remarks during a policy forum in Sochi, Russia.

Answering questions at the end of a lengthy speech, Putin said he wanted to “take this opportunity to congratulate (Trump) on his election as President of the United States”.

When asked if he was ready for discussions with Trump, Putin responded: “We are ready.”

Putin said he “didn’t know” what would come of Trump’s promise to negotiate a quick end to the war in Ukraine, but he suggested the US President-elect’s proposals are worth studying.

The Kremlin leader also said he was impressed by how Trump handled himself during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this year.

“He turned out to be a courageous person,” Putin said.

“People show who they are in extraordinary circumstances. This is where a person reveals himself. And he showed himself, in my opinion, in a very correct manner, courageously. Like a man,” he added.

In his first public comment on the outcome of the US polls, the Russian leader on Thursday emphasised the need to restore US-Russia relations and work toward ending the war in Ukraine.

After being pulled to the ground by US Secret Service agents when a gunman opened fire as he was speaking at an outdoor rally, Trump stood up and, pumping his fist in the air, yelled, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” It became a rallying cry at his rallies in his successful campaign to return to the presidency.

Trump has criticised the scale of US aid to Ukraine — which has surpassed $100 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 — feeding fears in Kyiv and the European Union that Trump intends to impose peace largely on Moscow’s terms.

Putin also cautioned that political forces in Washington had blocked Trump from his pledges to improve relations with Moscow during his previous term.