Moscow [Russia], November 8 (HBTV): Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election and stated that Moscow is ready to engage in dialogue with the Republican president-elect.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his victory in the U.S. presidential election. I have already said that we will work with any head of state who is trusted by the American people," Putin said while addressing the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi on November 7.

According to Al Jazeera, these were Putin’s first public remarks since Trump’s victory. He also praised Trump for displaying courage during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 14.

"In my opinion, he behaved very correctly—courageously, like a real man," Putin said in his address at the Valdai Discussion Club, Al Jazeera reported.

Putin added that Trump’s comments "about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserve attention at least."

The Kremlin earlier welcomed Trump’s claim that he could negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine "in 24 hours" but emphasized it would wait for concrete policy steps. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that while Moscow recalled Trump’s words on resolving the war in Ukraine, it believed the incoming U.S. president "exaggerated" the speed at which he could achieve it. "If the new administration is going to look for peace, rather than the continuation of war, it will be better compared to the previous one," Peskov said, according to Al Jazeera.

Moscow has also repeatedly denied U.S. allegations that Russia interfered in the 2024 and prior presidential elections or spread disinformation.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been urging its allies for increased support in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump. "We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump previously suggested that, to achieve peace, Ukraine might need to cede territory to Russia, an idea that Ukraine has rejected and that U.S. President Joe Biden has never proposed.

Since 2022, the U.S. has provided more than USD 64.1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, according to data from the U.S. Department of State. Foreign policy had been a key issue for the American electorate during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. 

(ANI)