Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his congratulations to Donald Trump on his electoral victory on Thursday, expressing his openness to engage in dialogue with the president-elect.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Donald Trump on his election as the president of the United States. I have previously stated that we are prepared to work with any leader chosen by the American populace. This will indeed be our approach in practice,” Putin remarked during his address at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, as translated into English.

When asked about his willingness to communicate with Trump, Putin affirmed, “Yes, we are ready.”

“If he were to call and say, ‘Vladimir, let’s meet,’ I would not hesitate to reach out to him myself,” the Russian president added, marking his first public remarks regarding the U.S. election.

Putin acknowledged Trump’s “interest in restoring relations with Russia to help resolve the Ukrainian crisis” as worthy of consideration.

However, he noted that he would refrain from initiating contact with Trump, citing that “at one point, Western European leaders were reaching out almost weekly, but that communication abruptly ceased,” seemingly alluding to the global response following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

While describing Trump as a relatively inexperienced politician, Putin also commended his “courageous” actions following an assassination attempt in July.

Trump has indicated in the past that he might withdraw US support for Ukraine’s military efforts and asserted that he could resolve the conflict with Russia “in one day.”

Furthermore, Trump has consistently lauded Putin while frequently criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he shares a complex relationship.

In a recent statement, Zelensky mentioned that he had a “productive” discussion with Trump. The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Kyiv will seek “peace through strength” instead of making territorial concessions or adopting a stance of neutrality.