MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) —Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump indicated Thursday that they were ready to hold talks after the Republican tycoon emerged as the victor in the race for the White House.

“I take this opportunity to congratulate him,” Putin said in remarks to the Valdai forum in the southern city of Sochi after Trump defeated Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s election.

Asked whether he was open to holding talks with Trump, the Russian leader said: “Ready”.

Trump revealed he was also prepared for some kind of conversation, telling NBC News in an interview that “I think we’ll speak” as the topic turned to his contacts with world leaders since his victory was announced.

Trump said he had spoken to “probably” 70 world leaders since Wednesday morning but revealed that he had not talked to Putin, who had claimed with a wry smile that he wanted Harris to win.

The endorsement was not taken at face value as Moscow has long been seen as welcoming Trump’s anti-establishment credentials, and the chaos he has injected into American and global politics.

A new book by American investigative reporter Bob Woodward asserts that Trump and Putin may have spoken as many as seven times during Joe Biden’s presidency, and that Trump while in office secretly sent the Russian leader then-scarce COVID tests.

Moscow was widely accused of interfering in the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump’s campaign against Hilary Clinton, although the Kremlin has repeatedly rejected those charges.

Putin said he was impressed by how Trump handled himself during an assassination attempt at a rally earlier this year.

“He turned out to be a courageous person,” Putin said.

“People show who they are in extraordinary circumstances. This is where a person reveals himself. And he showed himself, in my opinion, in a very correct manner, courageously. Like a man,” he added.