Putin congratulates Trump on election win and says Russia ready to talk

Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory and said Moscow was ready for dialogue, in a development that will deeply concern Kyiv and dial up unease across Europe.

Speaking publicly about Trump’s win for the first time on Thursday at a discussion forum in Sochi, the Russian president also heaped praise on the way Trump had reacted to the attempt on his life. His remarks, which characterized the president-elect as a “courageous person” who responded “like a man”, appeared designed to please Trump’s clear fondness for flattery.

Putin also claimed Trump had been “hounded by all sides” during the campaign and highlighted Trump’s remarks on Ukraine and Russia. “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,” said Putin.