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Putin congratulates Trump on electoral victory and praises his “courageous” response to the attack in Pennsylvania. The opening to dialogue with Washington worries Kiev and casts shadows on the future of Ukraine
MOSCOW – Vladimir Putin has made his first official statements about Donald Trump’s victory in the American elections, not sparing compliments for the promptness with which the President-elect reacted to an assassination attempt during the campaign.
With a well-calculated admiration, Putin described Trump as “a brave man” and expressed readiness to reopen dialogue with the United States. An opening that, predictably, will raise more than one eyebrow from Kiev to Brussels.
Speaking at the Sochi Forum, the Russian President praised Trump’s behavior after the July 14 incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, where an armed man shot at him during a rally. “It is in extraordinary situations that people show who they really are,” Putin said. “Trump reacted as he should, with courage, like a man.”
The Kremlin leader went on to suggest that Trump had been “besieged from all sides” during the campaign, with a tone that appears deliberately calibrated to meet the approval of the former President, known for his aversion to media and criticism. Putin then highlighted Trump’s positions on Ukraine and Russia, stating that “the desire to restore relations with Moscow and resolve the Ukrainian crisis deserves at least attention.”
The West on alert
It is not surprising that this friendly rhetoric between the two leaders worries European capitals. Trump’s victory brings back doubts about future US support for Kiev. During the election campaign, Trump claimed he could achieve peace in Ukraine “in 24 hours,” but without providing concrete details. Fearing a sudden shift in American policy, several sources close to Trump have speculated that the new plan would involve freezing the current front lines and halting Kiev’s NATO ambitions for twenty years, while continuing to send arms to Kiev to deter Moscow.
On the other hand, NATO did not wait long to react. The Secretary General, Mark Rutte, emphasized how the alliance between Russia, North Korea, and Iran represents a threat not only to Europe but also to the United States. “Russia is transferring technology to North Korea, which also endangers the American continent in the future,” Rutte warned.
The internal balances of Moscow and Washington
Even the Russian domestic front is not immune to the changing winds in the United States. Moscow welcomes a less interventionist American leader in Ukraine and more willing to make concessions. However, Putin’s interest in Ukrainian neutrality remains ambiguous, as the territories occupied and annexed by Russia in the last ten years are not up for discussion for the Kremlin. In other words, the concept of neutrality that Putin proposes does not involve territorial concessions. Responding to questions about the future Ukrainian borders, Putin stated that they “must reflect the sovereign decisions of the people living in those territories we call historical.”
Zelensky: peace without security is an illusion
From the Ukrainian front, President Volodymyr Zelensky has been equally firm. After a European summit in Budapest, he described as “dangerous and irresponsible” the calls for a ceasefire without security guarantees. “A clear plan is needed,” he reiterated. For Kiev, the prospect of an imposed “peace” that ends Western military support risks translating into a total international disengagement, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Russian advances.
With winter approaching, the conflict enters a critical phase: Europe, divided and tested by months of tensions, fears that a handshake between Putin and Trump could lead not only to a downsizing of US commitment, but also to a strengthened Russia, ready to consolidate its own conquests.
