The media would like you to believe that Vladamir Putin is cheering Donald Trump’s victory, but the Kremlin has reiterated that America remains an unfriendly nation.
In fact, Putin did not directly congratulate Trump on his victory, but the Kremlin did comment that his win could be “useful.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said hinted that he believes Trump’s claim that he could end the war in 24 hours are unattainable. “We have repeatedly said that the United States can help end the conflict in Ukraine. This, of course, cannot be done overnight,” Peskov said. He added that he is not aware of any plans by Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate President-elect Trump.
Oddly enough, Zelensky DID congratulate Trump. “Congratulations to Donald Trump on his impressive election victory!” he posted on X. “I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote. “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer.”
Zelensky went a step further and said he hopes to congratulate Trump in person, wishing to keep the discussion open. It seems as if Russia is simply tired of America’s involvement in this war. They have been lied to by countless politicians (see: Minsk Agreement) and do not trust the US. Zelensky, on the other hand, must appeal to Donald Trump as Ukraine is dependent on NATO which is dependent on US funding.
Now, we wait to see the steps Trump takes to tackle this monstrosity. The feedback from the Ukrainian and Russian leaders is not quite what most expected.