Putin, Trump to normalise ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke on the phone on Monday evening and agreed on the need to normalise ties between Washington and Moscow, the Kremlin said.

The Kremlin also said that the two politicians agreed to "make provisions for a personal meeting."

The presidential transition team in Washington said in a statement that it was Putin who called Trump to "offer his congratulations on winning a historic election."

The Kremlin said that Putin and Trump noted "the extremely unsatisfactory state of Russian-US relations at present" and "declared the need for active joint work to normalise them."

Putin wished Trump success in carrying out his campaign promises, the Kremlin said, and expressed his readiness to "create a dialogue of partnership with the new administration on the basis of equality, mutual respect and non-intervention in each other's domestic affairs."

They "agreed on the need to unite efforts in the struggle with the enemy number one: international terrorism and extremism," the Kremlin said, adding that in this context they discussed the "issues over resolving the crisis in Syria."

Trump's team meanwhile said more generally that the pair discussed "the threats and challenges" facing both countries as well as economic issues and "the historical US-Russia relationship that dates back over 200 years."

Meanwhile, Chinese state-run media lauded Trump yesterday after a phone call between him and President Xi Jinping, saying that the president-elect's emergence could mark a "reshaping" of Sino-American relations.

The pair spoke Monday, when Xi said that the two powers needed to co-operate and Trump's office said the leaders "established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another".

On the campaign trail Trump frequently demonised Beijing, but questions have been asked whether his conduct in the White House will match his promises as a candidate.

Monday's conversation was "diplomatically impeccable and has bolstered optimism over bilateral relations in the next four years", China's frequently nationalistic Global Times newspaper said in an editorial.