PUTIN’S ON TRUMP VICTORY: RUSSIA READY TO RESTORE PEACE WITH US

ALEXA ERICKSONNOVEMBER 9, 2016

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Today America is divided. People are sad and others are happy. And somewhere in between everyone is staring at each other in confusion as to how to strike up a conversation without offending someone else. Today is strange, historical and exhausting to talk about. But the results have been finalized and Donald J Trump is America’s new president. There are many things that will happen as a result of this, and Russia is already weighing in.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia is prepared to move forward with restoring a healthy relationship with the United States. This came after the news of Trump’s victory rolled in.

Putin spoke at the presentation ceremony of foreign ambassadors’ letters of credentials in Moscow, saying:

“We heard [Trump’s] campaign rhetoric while still a candidate for the US presidency, which was focused on restoring the relations between Russia and the United States.

“We understand and are aware that it will be a difficult path in the light of the degradation in which, unfortunately, the relationship between Russia and the US are at the moment.”

Putin also allegedly sent a telegram to Trump on Wednesday morning regarding “his hope they can work together toward the end of the crisis in Russian-American relations, as well address the pressing issues of the international agenda and the search for effective responses to global security challenges.”

Looming concerns of Russia’s relationship with the United States has sparked conversations of World War III. But has Russia really been the culprit of the problem?

According to Putin, Russia always wanted peace. Last year Putin said that the U.S.-Russia conflict  is “not our fault.” He said that the West ignored Russia when they reached out following the demise of the Soviet Union. Putin said that “now that the Soviet Union has fallen apart, we need to finish Russia off,” Putin said. “If this logic will persist, I don’t expect any thawing. But if our partners will agree with a different logic, one of considering mutual interests, of respecting each other’s interests, then our relations will change, too.”

Putin has on several occasions reached out for global unity on security matters, specifically with the U.S., while Moscow has also announced they do not want to trigger a new arms race. Has the real threat, then, been Washington’s fear of peaceful international relations that would ultimately cause its military-industrial complex to be void?

Putin has publicly supported Trump, and with today’s news of his win, the Russian president seeks urgency to restore necessary relations, saying in his message that he hopes to address some “burning issues that are currently on the international agenda, and search for effective responses to the challenges of the global security.”He also harped on the importance of “building a constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington, based on principles of equality, mutual respect on each other’s positions, meets the interests of the peoples of our countries and of the entire international community.”

And despite people’s views of Putin, he is not the only Russian leader who has expressed a desire to improve relations. Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin noted that Trump’s win will open the gates for more constructive conversations between Moscow and Washington, saying, “The current US-Russian relations cannot be called friendly. Hopefully, with the new US president a more constructive dialogue will be possible between our countries.”

“The Russian Parliament will welcome and support any steps in this direction.”

And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said “We are ready to work with any US leader elected by the US people.

“I can’t say that all the previous US leaders were always predictable. This is life, this is politics. I have heard many words but we will judge by actions.”