Russia's reaction to Trump's victory: less money for "parasites and bastards"

D. Medvedev expects Trump to stop wasting money on various "parasites and shirkers"

Donald Trump's triumph in the US presidential election is already being hailed as a historic victory in American politics. This unexpected political victory - especially in the light of his rival Kamala Harris, who was constantly on his heels - has triggered various reactions and speculations in the US and the world. The Kremlin and some Russian political figures have indeed reacted in mixed ways. Many speculate how this will affect US-Russia relations and whether the new President will bring a wave of significant changes^[1].

Russian reactions to this new President have been very mixed. Trump's historic victory reveals a variety of moods. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in a posting on the Telegram platform, stated that Trump has one quality that could benefit Russia:

"Trump has one characteristic that benefits us. He absolutely hates wasting money on all sorts of parasites and bastards - stupid allies, pointless charity projects, and bloated international organizations."

D. Medvedev even included Ukraine in this category, pointing out that Mr Trump would probably be less interested in continuing his massive aid to Ukraine. This view of Medvedev also reveals a broader Kremlin view of US support for Ukraine. Russia has been categorically critical of Western support for Kiev since the beginning of the war.

However, Mr Medvedev also expressed doubts that Mr Trump would succeed in changing US policy towards Ukraine, as he would face strong opposition in the American political system:

"The question is to what extent Trump will be forced to participate in the war. He is stubborn, but the system is stronger."

Sluckis hopes that there will be an opportunity to build a better relationship between the US and Russia

Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, also took stock of the situation, saying that Trump's team could provide an "opportunity" to improve relations between the US and Russia. Mr Slutsky stressed that the Republican Party does not normally invest in long-term aid to foreign countries:

"The Republican team has no intention of diverting American taxpayers' money into a proxy war against Russia."

Slutsky said that many in Russia hope that Trump will be less stubborn about helping Ukraine than his predecessors^[2].

Nevertheless, Sluckis warned against too high expectations, given the strong bipartisan consensus in the US Congress against Russia. In addition, Trump's previous term ended with a record number of anti-Russian sanctions and the level of cooperation was reduced to practically zero. Mr Slutsky wrote:

"It would be naive to expect a quick thaw or a rapid restoration of relations."

He also stressed that Moscow was, as always, ready for dialogue, but only "based on equal, mutual respect and fair conditions." These comments indicate that Moscow would like to see possible future relations based on respect and compromise rather than aggressive sanctions or harsh rhetoric of threats.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov is wary of Trump's promises

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that although Trump had won the election, this did not mean an automatic improvement in relations. Peskov told reporters that Moscow was waiting for concrete actions from Trump:

"We will draw conclusions on the basis of concrete actions and concrete words."

He recalled that Trump had spoken during his campaign about his aspirations for peace on the international stage, but warned that these aspirations could change once Trump takes office.

D. Peskov also pointed out that, if elected, Trump has repeatedly promised to stop the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours". Such promises may seem optimistic for Moscow, but the reality may be much more complicated, given that the conflict has already reached a global level of involvement^[3].

D. Peskov added that "the US can help end this conflict" in Ukraine, but it is also "the country that is fuelling the conflict."

Russian foreign ministry awaits US solutions to domestic problems

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also weighed in on the Trump return debate. She praised Trump's speech in which he acknowledged that "America is sick" and stressed the need to solve internal problems.

"Those who live in love for their country and not in hatred for others win," Zakharova wrote on the Telegram platform.

This quote reflects a certain sympathy for Donald Trump and his repeated love for America. Ms Zakharova added that it is important that Trump's victory is not interpreted as hatred toward other countries, including Russia.

The Russian state-controlled media believes that America is too involved in international conflicts. Moscow hopes that the new leader will reduce his commitments to other countries and focus more on his own internal problems.

Why hasn't Putin congratulated Trump yet?

In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the last world leaders to congratulate Joe Biden after his victory in the 2020 elections. He did so only six weeks later. This time, too, it seems that Putin is not going to be quick to congratulate the new US President on his victory. It may even happen that the Russian President will not congratulate Mr Trump at all.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Mr Putin has no plans to congratulate Mr Trump at the moment because "the US is a hostile country that is directly and indirectly involved in a war against our country". This caution, according to many political analysts, may indicate that Russia does not want to rush to express support for Mr Trump until it receives concrete action.

Although Russia's current stance is cautious, Trump has never hidden his sympathy for Vladimir Putin and has often publicly stressed that he has a "very good relationship" with the Russian President. In the past, their relationship has attracted considerable media attention as Trump has consistently rejected accusations of Russian influence in his election campaign and refused to impose new sanctions. In the view of some politicians and analysts, this has opened the door to speculation about collusion or pro-Trump policies.

Today, in the face of Trump's return, Russian hopes are renewed that the new presidential administration may be more favorable to Moscow, but both the Kremlin and Russian diplomats are aware that the US political system imposes severe constraints, especially in areas such as sanctions policy.

V. Zelensky congratulates Trump and hopes for a "just peace" in Ukraine

Unlike the Russian President, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Trump on his "spectacular victory" in the US presidential election. Mr Zelensky hoped that Mr Trump's return to the White House would bring a "just peace" closer to Ukraine.

"I appreciate President Trump's commitment to 'peace through strength' in international affairs. This principle can bring a just peace in Ukraine closer in practice, " Mr Zelensky wrote on social media.

In addition to the hope for peace, Mr Zelensky added that strong and united support from the United States is crucial for Ukraine to help ensure lasting peace in Europe and the transatlantic community. He said:

"We look forward to a strong era of the United States of America under the strong leadership of President Trump. We count on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States."

However, Mr Zelensky is likely to remain cautious towards the new US President as Mr Trump has already been critical of US military aid to Ukraine, which is worrying for Kiev and its allies.