Putin Congratulates Trump: "He And His Family Were Under Constant Pressure"

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated Donald Trump on taking office and welcomed his intention to open a dialogue with Moscow. Speaking during a video call with members of Russia’s Security Council just before Trump’s inauguration, Putin said that “we hear the statements from Trump and members of his team about their desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, which were halted through no fault of ours by the outgoing administration.” “We also hear his statements about the need to do everything to prevent World War III,” Putin said in televised comments. “We certainly welcome such an approach and congratulate the U.S. president-elect on taking office."