The Fog Of War Talk – Favour, Threat

Donald Trump, September 7: “I have a feeling. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say exactly about that. I don’t know if I’m insulted or he did me a favour.”  

Kremlin, November 6: “ ‘It is still almost impossible to worsen relations – they are at the lowest point in history,’ [Spokesman Dmitry] Peskov said. When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin would formally congratulate Trump on his victory, Peskov said he wasn’t aware of any plans for that from the Kremlin, adding, ‘Let’s not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in the war against our state…now, after the victory… when entering the Oval Office, sometimes statements take on a different tone. That’s why we say that we carefully analyze everything, observe everything, and draw conclusions based on specific words and concrete steps.’ ”  

Kremlin, November 7: “Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday that he had ‘no knowledge’ of any congratulatory message from Putin to Trump. ‘He [Trump] said he would call Putin before the inauguration. Here are his words, we have nothing else to say yet,’ Peskov explained to reporters.’ ”  “ ‘It is not out of the question,’ the spokesman told reporters when asked about the matter. ‘He did say he would call Putin before the inauguration. These are his words; we have nothing else to add for now,’ he added.”

Washington, November 10: “U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday [November 7] and discussed the war in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of ‘Washington’s sizeable military presence in Europe’, the Post reported.”  

Sochi, Putin at the Valdai Club, November 7: “Q:  What is the next President like from this point of view? A [Putin] …his behaviour when he faced an assassination attempt really impressed me. He turned out to be a courageous man. And it was not just the raised hand and the call to fight for their shared ideals. It was not just that, although, of course, this was more of a reflex. A man shows himself in extraordinary conditions – this is where a man shows himself. And he showed himself, in my opinion, in the right way: he showed his courage, as a man…what has been said in terms of trying to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion at least deserves attention. Availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to congratulate him on his election as President of the United States of America. I have already said that we will work with any head of state who has the trust of the American people. We will live up to this pledge…You know, I do not think it would be shameful for me to call him. I do not do this because there was a time when the leaders of Western countries have been calling me almost every week, and then suddenly they stopped. If they do not want to do it, so be it. As you can see, we are alive and well, and are developing, moving ahead. If someone of them wants to resume contacts, I have always said and I want to say again: we have nothing against it. We are ready to resume our contacts and have discussions. But there are many people willing to have discussions, there is a whole audience here, but if not, we will have a discussion with you then. Q: Does this mean that you are ready to have discussions with Trump? A. We are ready, of course.”