Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was "ready" to hold talks with Donald Trump, congratulating him on his victory in the US presidential election, AFP reports.
"I take this opportunity to congratulate him," Putin was quoted as saying at the Valdai Forum in Sochi.
Asked if he was ready to hold talks with Trump, the Russian leader replied, "I am ready."
Before the US vote, Putin publicly said he would prefer to see Joe Biden in the White House and then Kamala Harris.
However, it is widely believed that Moscow would prefer Trump to return to the White House.
The Kremlin is widely accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential election to support Trump's campaign against Hillary Clinton. Russia has repeatedly denied those accusations.
Putin has also stated that he was impressed with the way Trump handled himself during an assassination attempt at a rally earlier this year.
"He turned out to be a brave man," the Russian president said.
"People show who they are in extraordinary circumstances. This is where a person reveals himself. And he showed himself, I think, in a very proper way, courageously. Like a man," Putin added. | BGNES
