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The Kremlin stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no official plans to congratulate President-elect Donald Trump on his recent electoral victory.
What’s the deal: During a press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he was “unaware” of plans for Putin to congratulate Trump and noted that relations with the US are still at the lowest point in history. He said, “It is practically impossible to make relations between the United States and Russia any worse as they are already at their lowest point in history.”
Speculations of Unofficial Congratulatory Messages: Despite the Kremlin’s public stance, Russian outlet Verstka reported that Putin and other Russian elites, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Dmitry Medvedev, congratulated Trump “through acquaintances.”
Putin open to better relations? During the press conference, Peskov also reiterated that Russia was open to resuming dialogue with the US. He said, “President Putin has repeatedly said that he is open to a constructive dialogue based on justice, equality, and mutual respect for each other’s concerns. And President Putin remains committed to this position and has reiterated it multiple times. But today, the US administration holds a contrary position. Let’s wait and see what happens in January.”
The war in Ukraine & Trump’s position: With Trump winning the election, the United States’ stance on the war in Ukraine is expected to shift significantly. Trump has openly stated that he intends to end the war quickly and has suggested that Ukraine may need to cede some occupied territories to Russia, a major change from the current Biden administration’s stance
Zelensky congratulates Trump: Shortly after his victory last night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Trump and expressed hope that Trump’s “peace through strength“ approach could aid Ukraine.
