Vladimir Putin’s administration has, unsurprisingly, come out in support of Donald Trump’s latest criticism of Ukraine.
Tensions between Russia and the US have risen after the Biden administration gave Kyiv permission to use its long-range missiles to target sites within Russia.
But US president-elect Trump called the use of such US-supplied weapons against Russia “crazy”.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was very much on Trump’s side.
He said: ″The statement in itself is fully in harmony with our position.
“That is, our visions of reasons behind the escalation coincide. And, of course, we like that.”
However, he was more hesitant when asked about what decisions Trump could make about the Russia-Ukraine war once in office.
Peskov said: “Time will tell. Let’s wait for the moment when the president-elect takes his seat in the Oval Office.”
Speaking in an interview to mark his being named Time’s person of the year, Trump told the magazine: “It’s crazy what’s taking place. It’s crazy.
“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that?
“We’re just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done.”
It’s worth noting Russia has been indiscriminately bombing Ukraine since February 2022.
The Republican has previously promised to end the war within his first 24 hours in office, but has refused to say how he would do so – sparking fears he could push Kyiv to cede occupied land to Russia.
Trump told Time magazine he has a “very good plan” but it will become “almost a worthless plan” if he revealed any details.
Asked if his administration would stop supporting Ukraine, he said: “I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you’re going to reach an agreement is not to abandon.”
Biden’s decision to lift the ban on using long-range missiles against Russia followed months of pleading from Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The White House claimed the move was motivated by Russia’s decision to deploy 15,000 North Korean troops to serve its war effort – a move even Trump described as a “very complicating factor”.
