INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he was "ready" to hold discussions with "courageous" Donald Trump, as he congratulated him
on his victory in the U.S
presidential election."I take this opportunity to congratulate him," Putin said in remarks to the Valdai forum in the southern city of
Sochi.Asked whether he was open to holding talks with Trump, the Russian leader said: "Ready."Ahead of the U.S
vote, Putin had publicly said he would prefer to see Joe Biden, and then Kamala Harris, in the White House, when asked which candidate might
be best for Russia.But Moscow has long been seen as welcoming Trump's anti-establishment credentials and the chaos he has injected into
American and global politics.Moscow was widely accused of interfering in the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump's campaign against
The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected those charges.The Kremlin leader on Thursday also said he was impressed by how Trump handled himself
during an assassination attempt at a rally earlier this year."He turned out to be a courageous person," Putin said."People show who they are
in extraordinary circumstances
This is where a person reveals himself
And he showed himself, in my opinion, in a very correct manner, courageously
