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In a phone call which will send shockwaves through Brussels the Republican supremo promised to work more closely with the Kremlin chief on global affairs, marking a significant thawing in the relationship between the US and Russia.

European Union leaders have spent the week blindly lashing out against the new President-elect in a desperate attempt to appear relevant to his new administration. But tonight's call between the two world leaders, which was apparently warm and conciliatory, will only heighten their fears that Brussels is set to be sidelined by the new US government.

During an historic conversation the Kremlin chief offered his congratulations to Mr Trump on his shock victory over Hillary Clinton and expressed his hope that relations between the pair would be significantly better than those he had with Barack Obama.

Mr Putin told the 70-year-old President-elect that he respects him and hopes to enter into a successful political partnership in the future so they can work together to defeat extremism and terror.