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Kremlin Skeptical of Trump's Promises to End Ukraine War
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Russian officials' statements indicate Moscow's continued approach in dealing with Washington as an adversary, while leaving the door slightly open for possible future improvement in relations
The Kremlin responded with extreme caution Wednesday following Donald Trump's victory announcement in the U.S. presidential race, emphasizing Washington's continued classification as a hostile state and asserting that only time will reveal the seriousness of Trump's pledges to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia's military intervention in Ukraine in 2022 caused the most violent clash between Moscow and the Western camp since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when the conflict nearly turned into a nuclear confrontation between the world's two superpowers.
Republican candidate Trump declared victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election after Fox News predicted his win over Democratic rival Kamala Harris, marking a notable political comeback four years after leaving the White House.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated: "Let's not forget that we're talking about an unfriendly country, directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state (in Ukraine)."
Peskov revealed that President Vladimir Putin has no plans to congratulate Trump on his victory, noting that relations with Washington have deteriorated to their lowest historical levels.
The official spokesman added: "We've repeatedly said that the United States can contribute to ending this conflict. This cannot happen overnight, but the United States is capable of changing the course of its foreign policy... Whether this will happen, and if so, how... we'll see after (the U.S. president's inauguration in) January."
Diplomats from both Russian and American sides confirm that relations between the world's two largest nuclear powers have deteriorated to unprecedented levels, even compared to the most tense periods of the Cold War.
Russian officials, led by Putin, preempted the election results by confirming the winner's identity's irrelevance to Moscow, despite Russian state media showing clear preference for Trump.
In contrast, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, expressed optimism, viewing Trump's victory as an opportunity to repair relations between the two countries.
Russian forces continue to make territorial gains in Ukraine at the fastest pace in a year, now controlling about one-fifth of the country.
Russian control includes the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, about 80% of the industrial Donbas region, and more than 70% of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Levant-Agencies
