Russian President Vladimir Putin praised President-elect Donald Trump as “intelligent” on Thursday, congratulating him for winning the election and saying he believes Trump “will find a solution” to the Ukraine-Russia war.
“As far as I imagine the again-elected president, he is actually an intelligent person, already quite experienced. I think he will find a solution,” Putin said of Trump during a visit to Kazakhstan.
In Putin’s first remarks since Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris in November, the Russian president said he was ready for dialogue between Russia and the United States. Putin reiterated his prior terms for an end to the conflict, insisting Ukraine should cease its NATO ambitions and withdraw troops from four regions that Russia has claimed.
“He behaved, in my opinion, in a very correct way, courageously, like a real man,” Putin also said on Thursday of Trump. “I take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election.”
The Russian president said Trump’s remarks on the campaign trail about restoring relations with Russia were worthy of attention. Trump, while campaigning, insisted he could swiftly bring peace to Ukraine.
“What was said about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to bring about the end of the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, this deserves attention at least,” Putin said.
Putin, speaking for several hours on Thursday, also slammed Western leaders for their “adventurism” and accused the West of propelling the world to a “dangerous line” by trying to oppose Russia. The Ukraine-Russia war saw a significant escalation in 2022 upon Russia invading Ukraine. Since the invasion, there have been hundreds of thousands of casualties, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II.
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Trump recently nominated Keith Kellogg, a former national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, to be his special envoy for Russia and Ukraine. The position will place Kellogg in a key foreign policy role and at the center of potential negotiations under Trump to end the war.
“It is useless to put pressure on us,” Putin said. “But we are always ready to negotiate with full consideration of mutual legitimate interests.”
