Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed that he was ready to engage in discussions with US President-elect Donald Trump on the issue of Ukraine, signalling a potential shift in relations between Moscow and Washington.
Speaking at his annual year-end news conference, Putin said he was ready to meet Trump “at any time” to explore a compromise on the contentious issue.
“I don’t know when I’m going to see him. He isn’t saying anything about it. I haven’t talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course. Any time,” Putin said, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The Russian leader also touted the ‘invincibility’ of Russia’s “Oreshnik” hypersonic missile, which he claimed to have test-fired at a Ukrainian military factory. Putin proposed a provocative challenge to Western defence systems, offering to conduct another missile launch targeting Ukraine to test the effectiveness of Western air and missile defense systems.
“Let them determine some target for destruction, say in Kyiv, concentrate all their air defense and missile defense forces there, and we will strike there with Oreshnik and see what happens,” Putin said. “We are ready for such an experiment, but is the other side ready?”
Earlier, Putin congratulated Trump on his victory in the US presidential elections, expressing optimism about Moscow’s future prospects with Washington.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his victory in the US presidential election. I have already said that we will work with any head of state who is trusted by the American people,” he said.
In a personal note, Putin also praised Trump’s response during an alleged assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 14. “He behaved, in my opinion, in a very correct way—courageously, like a real man,” Putin said, according to Al Jazeera.