Approximately 4 Hours of Speech and Q&A
Congratulations on Trump's Election...Regarding Ukraine War, "Worth Noting"
"Joint Military Exercises with North Korea Possible...Something to Watch"
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the November 5 U.S. presidential election and stated that he is ready to engage in talks with him. He also mentioned the possibility of joint military exercises between Russia and North Korea.
According to Russian English-language media The Moscow Times and others, President Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club plenary session held in Sochi, southern Russia, "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as President of the United States." This is the first time President Putin has officially commented on the results of the U.S. presidential election held on the 5th. His speech and Q&A session on that day lasted about four hours and covered various topics.
When asked if he was willing to hold talks with President-elect Trump, Putin replied, "I am ready." He evaluated that "(Trump's) mention of the desire to restore relations with Russia and support the resolution of the Ukraine crisis is at least noteworthy." During his campaign, President-elect Trump repeatedly stated that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, emphasizing 'peace through strength.' This implied that negotiations with Russia could be based on the 'current borders.' The Moscow Times also reported in another article on the same day that there is a possibility for the two leaders to meet before Trump's presidential inauguration in January.
In particular, President Putin praised President-elect Trump’s response to the shooting incident during his July campaign rally in Pennsylvania, calling it "impressive" and saying he "proved to be a brave man." He said, "People show who they really are in special situations," and added, "In my opinion, he showed himself very correctly and bravely. Like a man."
He also expressed hope that relations with the United States would be restored someday, emphasizing that the ball is now in the U.S. court. He stated that Russia understands its responsibilities as a nuclear power and is ready to discuss strategic stability, but the other side must also be open, urging the U.S. to change its attitude. He further argued that if future talks on nuclear arms reduction take place, nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom and France should also be included in the discussions.
On the same day, President Putin hinted at the possibility of joint military exercises with North Korea, saying, "Why not? We will see." He referred to the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty (North Korea-Russia Treaty)’ signed between Russia and North Korea in June, adding, "Article 4 of the treaty states that if one party is attacked, the other will provide mutual support." The North Korea-Russia Treaty, ratified last month, includes provisions that if either side suffers a military invasion and enters a state of war, the other side will promptly provide military assistance in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and North Korea-Russia law. President Putin also emphasized that the North Korea-Russia Treaty is intended to maintain regional stability.
Regarding the Taiwan issue, he said, "We support China," referring to China as an 'ally.' President Putin criticized NATO, which includes the United States and Europe, as "the only remaining bloc in the world," and said it continues to try to expand eastward into Europe and other parts of the world, calling it "anachronistic." He expressed dissatisfaction, saying that Western large-scale sanctions against Russia would have no effect.
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