Following Donald Trump's 2024 presidential victory, a key ally of Vladimir Putin expressed the Kremlin's cautious optimism over the result, describing Trump as potentially "useful" to Russian interests.
Kremlin officials, including Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, spoke out Wednesday about the potential benefits in a second Trump presidency, specifically as it relates to U.S. support for Ukraine's defense efforts, Reuters reported.
"Trump has one quality that is useful to us: as a businessman to the core, he mortally dislikes spending money on various hangers-on and freeloaders," Medvedev wrote on Telegram, as translated by Google. "The question is how much they will force Trump to give for the war."
While the Kremlin has not officially congratulated Trump, Russian officials have subtly voiced their opinions to the public.
"When talking about Trump's victory, it is important not to forget that any American president serves his country first and foremost. No one in the White House, of course, will seriously consider the interests of the people of Russia or other countries. We can hope that our relations with the United States will become a little warmer — but just a little," Alexander Tolmachev, a lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party, told RIA Novosti.
As Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fueled heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, Trump's pro-Russia rhetoric during his presidency was met with scrutiny and controversy, especially in regards to Russian interference investigations in the 2016 U.S. election, as reported by Reuters.
Russian officials have previously voiced their hopes around a Trump victory in the 2024 election as it might lead to a reset in U.S.-Russia relations.
Uncertainty remains over whether Trump will be able to achieve his campaign promises to withdraw U.S. military aid or push forward negotiations with Russia.
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