The Kremlin earlier welcomed Trump’s claim that he could negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine ″I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president,” Putin said SOCHI, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on winning this week’s US presidential election and said on Thursday he was ready to speak to Trump, as any ideas on facilitating an end to the Ukraine crisis merited attention. Putin said he was impressed with how Trump, who decisively defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to secure his return to the White House, handled himself in the moments after an assassination attempt in July, describing Trump as a brave man.