President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on his reelection.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him [Trump] on being elected president of the United States of America,” Putin said at the Valdai International Discussion Club forum on Thursday.
"First of all, I can tell you that his behavior during the attempt on his life impressed me. He turned out to be a courageous person," Putin said.
"A person proves himself in extraordinary circumstances. This is an instance where a person proves himself, and he proved himself, in my opinion, in a very correct way, courageously - like a man," Putin said.
As far as politics goes, Putin said he got the impression during Trump's first term that the US leader was boxed in, "hounded from all sides, that they did not allow him to move. He was afraid to take a step to the left, a step to the right."
"I don't know what will happen now, I have no idea. For Trump this will be his final term in office, so what he does are questions for him," the Russian president added.
Russia is ready to resume contacts with Trump, Putin said. "I have already said that we will work with any head of state who the American people put their trust in. This will be the case in practice."
"What was said by Trump about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help resolve the Ukrainian crisis, it seems to me that this deserves our attention, at a minimum," Putin added.
"I don't think it would be shameful for me to call him. I just haven't done so because at one point, Western leaders called me almost every week, and then suddenly stopped. Well, if they don't want to - no need. As you can see, we are alive and well, we are developing, we are moving forward. If any of them want to resume contact, I have always said and want to say again that we have nothing against it, we will resume contacts and conduct discussions," the president said.
The Valdai International Discussion Club brings together leading foreign and Russian experts in political science, economics, history, and international relations.
The club was established in 2004 at the initiative of Russia's RIA Novosti News Agency, the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and the journals Russia in Global Affairs and Russia Profile. The club takes its name from the location of its first conference, which was held in Veliky Novgorod near Lake Valdai.