Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the recent U.S. presidential election, describing him as a “courageous man” who was “hounded from all sides.” Putin also expressed openness to discussing the war in Ukraine with Trump once he takes office.
These were Putin’s first public remarks on Trump following his election win. He made the comments late Thursday during an extended speech in Sochi, Russia, after the results of Tuesday’s election were announced.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could end the ongoing war in Ukraine, sparked by Russia’s invasion in February 2022, “in a day.” However, he has not provided specifics on how he would accomplish this. This has led to speculation that Trump might attempt to use his reportedly favorable relationship with Putin to negotiate a peace deal, though the details of such an approach remain unclear.
In Ukraine, there are growing concerns about how Trump’s presidency could affect U.S. military support, which has been critical in helping the country defend itself against Russia’s aggression. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced these concerns on Wednesday, calling for continued productive cooperation between the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe, regardless of the outcome of the election in America.
During his speech, Putin signaled that he was “ready” to engage in talks with Trump over Ukraine. He also mentioned an incident earlier this year in which an assassination attempt was made on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Putin claimed this event left a lasting impression on him.
“Extraordinary situations reveal the true character of a person. In that moment, he showed himself to be very correct, very courageous—like a real man,” Putin said.
Putin also referred to Trump’s first term, noting that the former president had been “hounded by all sides.” This comment may resonate with Trump, who has frequently portrayed himself as the target of unfair attacks, ranging from claims of election interference to ongoing legal challenges.
Trump has long spoken favorably of Putin, and a recent book by journalist Bob Woodward claimed that Trump may have had as many as seven private phone calls with the Russian president since leaving office. However, Putin’s history of using flattery, misinformation, and propaganda raises questions about the sincerity of his gestures. Notably, during the 2020 election, Putin suggested that he would have preferred to see Vice President Kamala Harris win the presidency.
Given Putin’s record of manipulation, experts have advised caution in trusting his public statements. Emily Harding, a former senior investigator with the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned last month, “I would caution any world leader about trusting Vladimir Putin with anything.”
Trump, meanwhile, confirmed in a Thursday interview with NBC News that he had not yet spoken to Putin, though he expected a conversation soon. “I think we’ll speak,” Trump said.
