Putin open to talks as western leaders go silent

Many reports provided by Russian media or government officials are elements of propaganda. Such information is part of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.

According to Putin, this situation occurred "suddenly," although such conversations used to happen regularly. "The leaders of Western countries called me almost every week at some stage, until they stopped all of a sudden," Putin stated.

He added that he has nothing against resuming dialogue, should Western leaders wish to do so.

- "If some of them wish to resume contact - I have always said it and I would like to repeat it once again - we have no objections to that, they are welcome; let’s resume contact and engage in discussions," the Russian leader declared.

On Thursday, also during the club session, Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the U.S. presidential elections. It was his first public comment on the American elections.

- "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him (Trump) on his election as president of the United States of America," Putin said during a question-and-answer session.

On the same day, President-elect Donald Trump said on NBC television that he expects to have a conversation with Vladimir Putin and announced that he had spoken with "probably" 70 other leaders.

The Valdai International Discussion Club is a Russian think tank and discussion platform founded in 2004. It analyzes global political, economic, social, and cultural issues. Its annual forums and conferences attract scholars, analysts, journalists, politicians, and opinion leaders from various countries. These events allow participants to exchange views on topics concerning Russia and the world at large.

The club was named after Lake Valdai in Russia, where one of the first meetings occurred. Its activities are often seen as a way to promote the Russian perspective in international debate and dialogue on global politics. The Valdai Club also organizes meetings regularly attended by Putin, which gives these events significant importance in Russian media and international politics.