The Kremlin’s cautious response to Donald Trump’s re-election underscores ongoing tensions with Washington, as Moscow continues to view its nuclear rival as a "hostile state".
After Trump’s declared victory on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Trump’s campaign promises to end the Ukraine war but stressed that only real shifts in US policy would change Russia’s stance.
Until then, he said, Russia still sees the US as adversarial.
Peskov’s remarks reflect the strained relations between Moscow and Washington, heightened since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – the most severe confrontation between the two nations since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Trump’s return to the White House raises questions about the future of democratic institutions and foreign policy, especially with Russia. Peskov suggested that any shift in US-Russia relations would depend on actions after Trump’s inauguration in January, not just campaign rhetoric.
Officially, Russian leaders have taken a neutral stance on US politics, asserting that Moscow does not distinguish between Democratic and Republican presidents.
Ukraine 'negotiations'
Despite this official neutrality, Russian state media have leaned in favour of Trump, hinting at a preference that aligns with the Kremlin’s broader foreign policy ambitions.
Trump pledged during his campaign to quickly end the Ukraine conflict, though he has not detailed how he would achieve this.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a willingness to negotiate, provided that any talks acknowledge Russia's territorial gains – a condition firmly rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
With Russian forces still holding significant parts of Ukraine, US support for Kyiv under Trump’s leadership is expected to come under scrutiny.
Russian 'meddling'
As speculation grows over potential changes to Washington’s backing of Ukraine, the US intelligence community remains vigilant against Russian interference in electoral processes both at home and abroad.
Recent elections in Georgia and Moldova – two post-Soviet countries holding EU candidate status – were marked by accusations of Russian interference, which Moscow denies.
A recent assessment from US intelligence highlighted continued Russian efforts, including social media and state-run media campaigns, to weaken public confidence in democratic elections.
On election day, US cybersecurity agencies were on high alert for potential disinformation and hacking attempts, with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warning that “Russia [remains] the most active threat.”
Russia-linked disinformation reportedly circulated false claims that officials in battleground states intended to sway the outcome of the the election.
The ODNI’s latest report is part of a series of warnings about foreign actors – notably Russia and Iran – allegedly using disinformation or hacking to influence the election.
