He wasn't among the initial wave of world leaders congratulating Donald Trump on his election win, but Vladimir Putin got there eventually. At a conference with foreign policy experts in Sochi on Thursday, the Russian ruler offered his congratulations to Trump and praised him for his bravery during the assassination attempt in July, reports Reuters. "His behavior at the time of the attempt on his life made an impression on me. He turned out to be a courageous man," he said. "And it's not just about the raised hand and the call to fight for his and their common ideals," Putin said. "He behaved, in my opinion, in a very correct way, courageously, like a man."
Putin, referring to past remarks from the president-elect, signaled that he would be willing to discuss the Ukraine war, the New York Times reports. "As for what was said about the desire to restore ties with Russia and help end the Ukraine crisis—in my view, this deserves attention," he said. Trump has claimed he could arrange a peace deal within 24 hours.
Asked what he expected from Trump's second term, Putin said: "I do not know what is going to happen now. I have no clue." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Moscow hasn't ruled out talks between Putin and Trump before Trump takes office, the AP reports. Reuters reports that when Peskov was asked about Kamala Harris' remark during the September debate that Putin would eat Trump for lunch, he chuckled and said, "Putin does not eat people." (More Vladimir Putin stories.)
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