Russia took a cautious stance on former U.S. President Donald Trump's election victory, stating that it will "not rush to judge the policy direction of the next U.S. administration."
According to TASS and RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing on the 6th (local time), "We will carefully analyze everything and observe all developments before drawing conclusions based on specific words and actions."
He noted that although President-elect Trump confidently claimed during his campaign that the Ukraine conflict could be ended "within a day," his tone might change after entering the White House. He also pointed out that while the U.S. could contribute to ending the Ukraine conflict, it is currently fueling the dispute.
Regarding U.S. policy toward Russia, Peskov criticized, "Russia has repeatedly confirmed its readiness for dialogue, but the U.S. is currently showing the opposite stance."
When asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would congratulate Trump on his election victory, Peskov said he did not know and added, "Let us not forget that the U.S. is an unfriendly country directly or indirectly involved in a war against our country."
In response to a question about whether the absence of a congratulatory message from President Putin might upset Trump and further worsen bilateral relations, Peskov replied, "It is practically impossible for relations between the two countries to deteriorate further," adding, "Relations are at an all-time low, and how they will change depends on the next U.S. administration." Regarding the possibility of a phone call between President Putin and President-elect Trump, he said, "You should ask them (Trump's side)."
He added that while the U.S. might change its diplomatic policy direction, the situation after Trump takes office in January next year should be observed.
During the election campaign, former President Trump promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. Foreign media have analyzed that Trump might pressure Ukraine to cede territory or urge it to abandon its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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