Vladimir Putin congratulates Trump on taking office as U.S. President
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on taking office as U.S. President.
Via video link, he held an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council, during which he stated that the Russian side is open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
«We see statements by the newly elected U.S. President and his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, which were severed by the outgoing administration, not through our fault. We also hear his statements about the need to do everything possible to prevent World War III. Without a doubt, we welcome this approach and congratulate the elected U.S. president on taking office,» Vladimir Putin said. He emphasized that the dialogue should be built on an equal and mutually respectful basis.
«The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis... As for resolving the situation itself, I would like to reiterate: the goal should not be a short-term truce or some kind of pause for regrouping forces and rearming to continue the conflict later, but a long-term peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people, all nations living in the region,» he added.
Earlier, it was reported that the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump instructed his team to arrange a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin within a few days after the inauguration.
