Celebration in Moscow as Russians welcome Donald Trump to presidency
Trump’s praise for President Putin has raised expectations that he could move to normalise ties, although Trump hasn’t articulated a clear policy and some of his cabinet nominees have made hawkish statements
Champagne corks popped on Friday in Moscow as Russians celebrated the start of Donald Trump’s presidency, confident of better relations ahead between the two countries.
“It’s weird, but it’s great, and for the first time ever Russians are applauding the victory of a US presidential candidate,” political analyst Stanislav Byshok said.
Trump’s promises to fix ravaged relations with Moscow have elated Russia’s political elite following spiraling tensions with Washington over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and allegations of Russian meddling in the US election.
It’s weird, but it’s great, and for the first time ever Russians are applauding the victory of a US presidential candidate
“We are ready to do our share of the work in order to improve the relationship,” Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Facebook.
About 100 Trump sympathisers, nationalists and spin doctors gathered at a trendy loft just a few hundred meters away from the Kremlin to celebrate on Friday, with a triptych of Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French nationalist politician Marine Le Pen in the centre of the hall.
An hour before Trump took the stage in Washington, the sound of opening champagne bottles echoed in the vaulted hall. The party was co-sponsored by the conservative Tsargrad TV channel, which is led by ultra-right ideologue Alexander Dugin.
“Yes, it’s a holiday,” said a beaming Dmitry Rode, a communications executive with a glass of champagne in his hand. “We all hope that relations between our countries and more importantly between our peoples will help to develop our economies. We’re neighbours, we’re just 50km away from each other.”
Some party-goers wore Guy Fawkes masks, associated with hackers, in a sly reference to charges that Russia interfered in the US election.