By Vladimir Soldatkin
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the U.S. presidential election, praising him for showing courage when a gunman tried to kill him, and said Moscow was ready to talk to the Republican president-elect.
“I would like to congratulate him on his election as president,” Putin said at the Valdai discussion club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Trump said while campaigning that he could bring peace to Ukraine within 24 hours if he was elected, but gave few details about how he would try to end Europe's biggest land war since the Second World War.
Putin said what Trump said in his campaign regarding resolving the Ukraine crisis deserved attention. He said if Trump wanted to resume contact, then Russia was ready to discuss it.