Putin Has a Frosty Response to Ukraine’s New Leader
- Kremlin says it’s ‘premature’ to congratulate comic Zelenskiy
- Medvedev says Ukraine can improve ties with ‘common sense’
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a frosty response to comic Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s landslide election as Ukraine’s new president, with the Kremlin saying it was “premature” to offer congratulations on his victory.
“Moscow respects the choice of the Ukrainian people, especially since this choice is very obvious,” though it’s too soon to consider possibilities for Putin and Zelenskiy to work together, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call Monday. “It’s possible to judge only on concrete actions,” he said.