Vladimir Putin not planning to congratulate Donald Trump on election win, Kremlin says

Among the dozens of world leaders to congratulate Donald Trump on his presidential election victory, one man has remained radio silent.

Among the dozens of current and former world leaders to congratulate Donald Trump on his presidential election victory, one man has remained radio silent: Vladimir Putin.

The Russian President was one of the first to sing the Republican President-elect’s praises when he first won the Oval Office in 2016.

Eight years later, however, Mr Putin has no intentions of doing it again, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said overnight.

“I am not aware of the president’s plans to congratulate Trump on the election,” Mr Peskov told a press conference.

“Let’s not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in the war against our state.”

Vladimir Putin does not intend to ‘congratulate Trump on the election’. Picture: Vyacheslav Prokofyev/POOL/AFP

Republican President-elect Donald Trump. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Mr Peskov was then asked whether he thought Mr Trump might be offended if his Russian counterpart did not congratulate him on his win, Interfax reported, and whether this would worsen already-poor relations between the two nations.

“It is practically impossible to worsen things further; relations are at their historical lowest point,” he responded.

“And what happens next will depend on the next US leadership. President Putin has repeatedly said that he is open to constructive dialogue based on justice, equality and a willingness to take each other’s concerns into account. And President Putin maintains this attitude.

“At the moment, the US administration is diametrically opposed. We will see what happens in January.”

‘At the moment, the US administration is diametrically opposed. We will see what happens in January.’ Picture: Olga Maltseva/AFP

Mr Trump has repeatedly said he would end the conflict launched by the Kremlin against Ukraine in February 2022 within “24 hours”, without giving details on how.

He has also lambasted the billions of dollars in US aid for Ukraine that are critical for its defence, and several times blamed Kyiv for the conflict.

Throughout his campaign, however, the 78-year-old steered clear of publicly criticising Mr Putin himself.

Mr Peskov said the Kremlin “will draw conclusions based on concrete steps and concrete words”.

Moscow has said it would accept a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine only if Kyiv surrenders vast swathes of its territory.

After Mr Trump declared victory, Russia said that its position on Ukraine would remain the same and that with the new Republican administration, its priority would still be to achieve “all set” goals in Ukraine.

“Our conditions are unchanged and are well known in Washington,” Russia’s foreign ministry said.

Some Russian political analysts cautioned that Moscow should not count on Trump offering a deal the Kremlin could accept.

“A risky moment will appear when he proposes something that from his point of view is very favourable to Russia, but Russia sees it completely differently and rejects it,” analyst and journalist Georgy Bovt told AFP.

“What will he do after that, how will he behave?”

Others on the streets of Moscow expressed a similar kind of caution.

Ivan, 50, said he would wait and see what Trump would be like in office.

“Campaigning is one thing and actually sitting in the chair and taking action is quite another,” he said.

Mr Trump warmed relations with Moscow while in office but American policy remained largely unchanged. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Many in Russia were left disappointed by Mr Trump’s first term between 2017 and 2021.

Mr Trump warmed relations with Moscow while in office but American policy remained largely unchanged, with Russia blaming the US establishment for blocking Mr Trump from realising the desired rapprochement.

“We are under no illusions about the American president-elect,” Moscow’s foreign ministry said.

For some Russians, it made no difference whether Mr Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris came out on top.

“Kamala and Trump are completely the same,” one 70-year-old man told AFP.

“They don’t like Russians. And nothing good for us is going to come from either one, in my opinion.”

– with AFP