Trump has criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. But it was under Trump's administration, in 2017, that the U.S. first sent weapons to Ukraine.

In a decisive victory, Trump wins a series of swing states, while his Republican Party also gains control of the Senate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory in his first public comment on the U.S. vote, and he praised the president-elect's courage during the July assassination attempt.

Russia has stepped up its attacks against Ukraine following Donald Trump's decisive win in the U.S. presidential election. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Trump courageous in his first public remarks since the election and said Trump's claim that he can help end the war in Ukraine,

Russian President Vladimir Putin has broken his silence following Donald Trump's landslide election victory, saying the US President 'turned out to be a brave man'

The Kremlin reacted cautiously on Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president, saying the U.S. was still a hostile state and that only time would tell if Trump's rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war translated into reality.