Did Putin Congratulate Trump Through Acquaintances? Clarification

The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, has deemed the information that President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev allegedly congratulated Trump on his victory in the U.S. presidential elections through 'acquaintances' as untrustworthy. Peskov made this statement in an interview with RTVI when asked to comment on the rumors circulating on the internet.

Earlier, the Kremlin spokesperson had stated that he was not aware of any plans for Putin to congratulate Trump. He noted that 'we are talking about a non-friendly country that is directly and indirectly involved in the war against Russia.' Meanwhile, Peskov mentioned that the Russian president is open to constructive dialogue 'based on justice, equality, and readiness to take each other's concerns into account.'

The Russian Foreign Ministry had stated in a post-election announcement that Donald Trump’s victory reflects the discontent of Americans with the Democrats' course; however, Moscow has 'no illusions' regarding the elected president. According to the ministry, 'the ruling political elite in the United States, regardless of party affiliation, is committed to an anti-Russian stance.'