Vladimir Putin congratulates Donald Trump, says desire to store ties needs attention, calls him ‘brave’

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US election in a stunning return to the White House as the 47th President. In his first public comment on the outcome of the US polls, the Russian leader said he was ready to speak with Trump, emphasising the need to restore US-Russia relations and work toward ending the war in Ukraine.

As ties between the two countries are at a historic low, especially over the US’s support for Ukraine, Putin said that Moscow is ready to restore relations with Washington, but the ball is in the US court.

″I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as President of the United States of America,” Putin said during an international forum following a speech in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Putin added that what Trump has said “about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserves attention at least.”

On what he expects from a second Trump presidency, 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 matter,” Putin said.

The Russian President also said that he was impressed with how Trump handled himself in the moments after an assassination attempt in July, describing Trump as a “brave man”. “I was impressed by Trump’s behaviour during the assassination attempt. He is brave. He did it right, as a man. Not sure what he will do now,” Putin said.

On reports of a possible phone call between the two leaders before the January inauguration, Putin said, “Don’t think it’s wrong to hold a call with Trump. If some world’s leaders seek to restore contacts, I’m not against it. We are ready to speak to Trump”.

Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the US on Wednesday, marking a remarkable comeback after his previous refusal to accept defeat, followed by supporters storming the Capitol, felony convictions, and surviving two assassination attempts. Trump secured the presidency by winning all major swing states, while voting continues in two.

Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival, conceded the race and congratulated Trump. President Joe Biden also congratulated Trump and invited to the White House to begin the transition process.