Trump congratulates Vladimir Putin on inauguration of his fourth term
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has congratulated his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on being sworn in for a fourth term, saying he looks forward to a time when the two nations can have a good relationship. Putin, 65, who is in power since 1999, was re-elected as Russia's president in the March election with 76.7% of the vote. Here's more.
Relations
Trump looks forward to have a good relationship with Russia
"The President congratulates him and looks forward to a time when we can hopefully have a good relationship with Russia," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told at her daily news conference yesterday. "However, the United States believes that everyone has a right to be heard and assemble peacefully," she added, referring to the arrest of protesters in Russia.
Information
Over 1,500 protesters were arrested for anti-Putin rally
Nearly 1,600 protesters, including Putin's most vocal opponent, Alexei Navalny, were detained on Saturday during nationwide rallies against the Russian leader.