Moscow Skeptical of Any Change in US Stance Toward Ukraine After Trump Victory

The Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said US-Russia relations remained at an all-time low and doubted whether President-elect Donald Trump’s victory would alter Washington’s attitude to the war in Ukraine.

“Let’s not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country, which is both directly and indirectly involved in the war against our state,” Peskov told reporters on Wednesday morning in the Kremlin’s first official remarks on the results of the US election, according to the Russian media outlet Meduza.

Peskov also accused Washington of “fueling” the war in Ukraine and said it cannot end “overnight,” likely in reference to Trump’s June 2023 comments that he could end the war “in 24 hours” of becoming President.

Peskov said Trump’s rhetoric on Ukraine, which has been unfavorable toward Ukraine thus far with Trump’s running mate being vocally opposed to aid for Ukraine, could still “take on a different tone” once Trump is in office in January.

“Once [in the Oval Office], statements can sometimes take on a different tone. That’s why we say we are carefully analyzing everything, monitoring everything, and we will draw conclusions from specific words and concrete actions,” Peskov said.

He said he was unaware if Russian President Vladimir Putin had any plans to congratulate Trump on his victory.

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When he was then asked if Putin fails to congratulate Trump would that result in a worsening of relations between the two countries, he said: “It is almost impossible to worsen them further, relations are at their historically lowest point. What happens next will depend on the next US leadership.

“President Putin has repeatedly said that he is open to constructive dialogue based on fairness and equality, and a willingness to take each other's concerns into account.”