Russian President Vladimir Putin would prefer a US president who is “more constructive” toward Russia and understands the “importance of the dialogue” between the two countries, the Kremlin spokesperson said on Friday. His statement came amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and ahead of US presidential elections in 2024.
In an interview with NBC news, Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked if Putin could work with former US President Donald Trump. In his response, Peskov was quoted as saying that Putin would be ready to work with “anyone who will understand that from now on, you have to be more careful with Russia and you have to take into account its concerns.”
According to reports, Trump had commended Putin’s leadership style during his time as the US president.
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The NBC news reported in September this year that Russian President Putin had said he was “happy” to hear Trump’s promise to “resolve all burning issues within several days” — including the war in Ukraine.
Trump had then appreciated Putin’s praise and said it meant “what I’m saying is right,” referring to his positions on the war in Ukraine.
In the exclusive interview, Peskov did not comment on whether US President Joe Biden would fit that bill, or mention Trump by name. He, however, questioned Trump’s claim that he would end the war in one day, saying it’s “too complicated” to be resolved that easily.
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Peskov also accused the US and the West of unnecessarily prolonging the Russia-Ukraine war. “You have to understand your responsibility for this,” Peskov was quoted as saying. He added, “You are making this conflict longer.”
Ukraine has been fighting against invading Russian forces for almost two years now. As Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022, it started facing sanctions by the US and Europe. Meanwhile, several countries, including the US, provided help to Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
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