Putin congratulates Donald Trump and says he’s ‘open to dialogue’ about war
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Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on taking office, adding that he is ‘open to dialogue’ about his bloodshed in Ukraine, which nears the three-year mark. Whatever the next four years will bring, the relationship between Russia’s and US’ presidents will play a major role.
This was evident in Putin’s statement about Trump’s second stint in office, made ahead of the inauguration in Washington DC, as he spared no time in bringing up his war. Follow Metro’s live blog for the latest updates on Donald Trump’s inauguration.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. With a motionless expression, Putin told his security council: ‘Moscow is open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict.’.
He added that the goal should not be a short-term truce, but a long-term peace based on ‘respect for the legitimate interests of all peoples living in this region’. Trump is likely to press for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine early in his presidency, having claimed during his election campaign he wanted to do so within days of taking power.
Ukrainian officials have warned the new US administration against opening early negotiations, and have called on the president-elect to help them make Putin feel pain’ before such talks begin. A meeting between the two leaders was supposedly being arranged, not long after Trump is sworn in office, but an exact time has not been given.
