Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned the US President-elect Donald Trump on 14 November to extend congratulations. The two leaders then agreed to work towards "constructive cooperation" and assist each other in fighting against terrorism, the Kremlin said.
The Russian president said he is looking forward to working with US and is willing to channel his country's resources "to tackle international terrorism and extremism". Ties between Russia and the US had worsened after Kremlin's annexation of Crimea and over Moscow's role in the Syrian war.
The election of Trump to the highest office in the US will lead to a thaw in ties, analysts say. The new American leader told Putin he is willing to normalise US-Russia ties and wants a long-lasting relationship with the European country, it was reported.
Putin and US President Barack Obama disagreed on several matters including Syria and Ukraine. However, Kremlin said on Monday that Trump agreed to maintain contact with Putin by phone and both the leaders have decided to meet in person to discuss conflicting issues in depth.
"The importance of creating a solid basis for bilateral ties was underscored, in particularly by developing the trade-economic component," the Kremlin said in its statement. The statement also said that both the countries should "return to pragmatic, mutually beneficial cooperation, which would address the interests of countries as well as stability and safety the world over."
While Trump and Putin express willingness to mend the ties, Obama reaffirmed that will remain "committed to a strong Nato". Obama said that during their last week's meeting the new president was committed to a "strong and robust Nato" partnership. However, during his campaign, Trump publicly criticised member countries of Nato for their lackadaisical attitude and their unwillingness to work enough within the organisation.
However, Obama said "certain elements of [Mr Trump's] temperament .. will not serve him well unless he recognises them".
