Putin congratulates 'courageous' Trump - and notes 'desire to restore relations' with Russia

Vladimir Putin has hailed Donald Trump arsenic "courageous" for his effect to an assassination effort arsenic helium congratulated the adjacent US president.

Mr Trump won a decisive triumph successful the 2024 predetermination - comfortably clearing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to unafraid the presidency and clinching 5 battleground states.

Throughout his campaign, Mr Trump said helium would extremity the warfare betwixt Russia and Ukraine successful conscionable 24 hours - without explaining however helium would bash so.

Speaking successful the Black Sea edifice of Sochi connected Thursday, the Russian person besides noted the president-elect's "desire to reconstruct relations," but added helium has "no idea" what to expect from Mr Trump's 2nd word successful office.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already congratulated the Republican connected his win, helium raised concerns that his program to extremity the warfare with Russia rapidly means "losses for Ukraine".

Meanwhile, Mr Trump told Sky's spouse web NBC News that helium has not spoken to Mr Putin yet, but said "I would deliberation that we'll speak".

After giving a code astatine an planetary forum successful Sochi, Mr Putin said Mr Trump's "behaviour astatine the clip of the effort connected his life made an content connected me".

"He turned retired to beryllium a courageous man," the Russian president said. "And it's not conscionable astir the raised manus and the telephone to combat for his and their communal ideals...

"He behaved, successful my opinion, successful a precise close way, courageously, similar a man."

Mr Putin said helium felt Mr Trump was "hounded from each sides" erstwhile helium was past president, and added: "I bash not cognize what is going to hap now.

"I person nary clue. For him, this is his past term. What helium volition do, these are questions for him."

The Russian president added what Mr Trump has said "about the tendency to reconstruct relations with Russia, to assistance extremity the Ukrainian crisis, successful my opinion, deserves attraction astatine least".

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Sky News that if the caller Trump medication seeks bid alternatively than "continuation of war" past it volition "be amended successful examination with the erstwhile one".

But erstwhile asked astir Kamala Harris's statement proposition that Mr Putin volition "eat Donald Trump for lunch", helium bizarrely responded: "Vladimir Putin does not devour people."

It came arsenic the president-elect told NBC News that helium has spoken to astir 70 satellite leaders aft winning the 2024 election, but not Mr Putin.

Mr Trump said successful a telephone interview: "Well, I would deliberation that [he and Mr Putin] volition speak. I would surely deliberation so."

He added helium is not alert of immoderate plans to talk to the Russian leader.

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It comes arsenic Mr Zelenskyy said successful Budapest connected Thursday helium was not alert of immoderate details of Mr Trump's program to extremity the Ukraine warfare rapidly - but fears a speedy solution would mean large concessions for Kyiv.

"If it's conscionable fast, it means losses for Ukraine," helium said. "I conscionable don't yet recognize however this could beryllium successful immoderate different way. Maybe we bash not cognize something, bash not see."

Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy met astatine Trump Tower successful New York successful September - days aft the aboriginal president complained astatine a rally that "we proceed to springiness billions of dollars to a antheral who refuses to marque a deal" to extremity the war.