Will Putin congratulate Trump? Here's what Kremlin said

The Kremlin on Wednesday tread cautiously while making a statement after Donald Trump's emphatic victory in the 2024 US presidential elections, saying that the leader's "actions" in office will show whether he keeps his 'vow' of ending the Ukraine war.

The statement comes in the backdrop of speculations and the concerns rising from those that Trump's second term in the White House could possibly be disastrous for Kyiv. Many Russians in Moscow welcomed Trump's victory, hoping that he would deliver on his promise, AFP reported.

Notably, Trump had repeatedly promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine if voted to power in the US.

ALSO READ | Donald Trump downplays tensions with Zelenskyy, vows to end Russia-Ukraine war

Conclusions on concrete steps, word

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump had made some significant statements about the Ukraine war, however, only time will tell whether they result in actual action. "We will draw conclusions based on concrete steps and concrete words," he said.

Peskov said that this was about an "unfriendly country" which was engaged both directly and indirectly in a "war against our state".

The Kremlin spokesman further said that he was "not aware" of any plans by President Vladimir Putin to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory, adding that relations with Washington were at an historic low.

"We have repeatedly said that the US is able to contribute to the end of this conflict. This cannot be done overnight, but... the US is capable of changing the trajectory of its foreign policy. Will this happen, and if so, how... we will see after (the US presidential inauguration) in January," Peskov was quoted as saying by Reuters.

US Elections | What Trump's win means for Ukraine, Middle East and China

Following Trump's victory declaration, Russia said regardless of the results its stance on Ukraine would remain the same. It noted that with a Republican administration in the Oval Office, it would prioritise achieving "all set" goals in Ukraine.

"Our conditions are unchanged and are well known in Washington," Russia's foreign ministry said.

Chance for constructive approach

As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, some officials in Moscow consider Trump's return as the US President as a path that would possibly lead to a diplomatic breakthrough over Kyiv.

Leonid Slutsky, a parliamentary foreign policy official, cited by AFP, said, "It's possible that there will be a chance for a constructive approach."

Notably, the Russian foreign ministry said that it had no illusions about Trump, saying that there was a bipartisan anti-Russian position among the ruling elites of the US to try and contain Russia.

"Russia will work with the new administration when it 'takes up residence' in the White House, fiercely defending Russian national interests and focusing on achieving all the set objectives of the special military operation (in Ukraine)," the ministry was quoted as saying.

Watch: Donald Trump's Assassination Bids, Criminal Cases, 2020 Setback For Historic Comeback

Trump's statements on Russia-Ukraine

During his election campaigns, Donald Trump had last month blamed US ally Ukraine for Russia's invasion, arguing that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had failed in his duty to halt hostilities before they even started.

He also criticized President Joe Biden, accusing of him of "instigating" the Ukraine war. Later, the Republican campaign had said that he was "clearly talking about Biden" and not Zelenskyy.

ALSO READ | Donald Trump touts ‘good ties’ with Vladimir Putin, ‘…let’s hope for good relations,’ Zelensky asks back

Trump had met with Zelenskyy in New York in September, where the two leaders reportedly discussed plans to resolve the ongoing war with Russia. "We both want to see this end and we both want to see a fair deal made," Trump had told Fox News.

Trump reiterated his intentions of wanting to end the Russia-Ukraine war if elected to power in the US. "We're going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled and get it worked out," Trump said. "It has to end at some point, it has to end. He's (Zelenskyy) gone through hell," the now President-elect had said at the time.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.