November 11, 2024

What Does the Kremlin Think of Donald Trump?


What Does the Kremlin Think of Donald Trump?
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in 2016.  Kremlin.ru, Wikimedia Commons

The outcome of the US presidential election on November 4 was received positively by members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration, sources told independent media outlet Meduza.

One source praised Donald Trump for the fact that he "doesn't insult Russia": "In a sense he is the same as us." The same source called the policies of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris "completely incomprehensible." 

Many anticipate that a goal of former President Trump's second term will be resolution of Russia's War on Ukraine. According to another source, however, this may not be possible for Trump: "The optimism is not very clear. Trump is an impulsive person, he wants to get his way. It is possible that he will somehow influence Ukraine, but the agreement is concessions, including from Russia. And so far it does not look like the president [Putin] is ready for any concessions."

Another source close to the Kremlin added a more pessimistic perspective: "The [Russian] president is building an anti-Western coalition, including those whom Trump considers enemies, China for example. This is no longer the Putin of 2016. Concessions are no longer his thing."

 

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