Although almost all world leaders congratulated Republican candidate Donald Trump on winning the US presidential election, Russian President Vladimir Putin remained silent. Finally, he also congratulated Trump.

Putin praised Trump's courage when he was shot and killed by an assassin. He also said that Moscow is ready to engage in dialogue with the newly elected US president.

In his first public speech after Trump's victory on Thursday, Putin said, "He (Trump) showed real courage when he tried to kill Trump at an election rally in Pennsylvania last July." "In my opinion, he has shown a very accurate, courageous, and genuine human being," Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. "In his election campaign, Trump expressed his desire to restore relations with Russia to end the Ukraine crisis, and I think his plan deserves at least some attention," Putin said. During the election campaign, Trump promised to restore peace in Ukraine within 24 hours if elected. However, Trump did not elaborate on how he would fulfill his promise to end the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II. Earlier, Trump had said in his victory speech, "I will govern the country according to a simple principle: promises were made, promises were kept. We will keep our promises in the future." Trump has criticized the trillions of dollars the United States has spent supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. Meanwhile, the 72-year-old Kremlin chief Putin reacted cautiously, saying, “I don’t know what’s going to happen now. I have no clue.”

In response to a question from a reporter, Putin said he was ready to resume contacts and hold talks with Trump if the Trump administration wanted him to.

Trump and Russia have repeatedly dismissed Western media claims that Trump is an agent of Russian influence as nonsense.

Moscow has also repeatedly denied US claims that Russia interfered in the 2024 and other presidential elections and spread disinformation in an attempt to cause chaos.

Russian officials say Trump was tough on Russia during his first term, from 2017 to 2021.

Putin said that while Russia was ready to restore relations with the United States, the decision was now in Washington's hands. Putin even called China Russia's "ally."

Asked about Kamala Harris's warning that Putin would easily eat Trump for lunch, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov

laughed and said, "Putin doesn't eat people."