Image: AP

Now that Donald Trump is our President-elect, his best buddy and literal comic book villain Vladimir Putin has sent his congratulations.


You might think that Putin would do this over a phone call, because that seems like the right and polite thing to do. Or if not a call, at least a text. We know Trump favors Android, so iMessage is probably out, but Putin could at least use an app like Signal. It’s encrypted, at least.

Nah. Putin decided to be totally old-school and send a telegram. A telegram! According to NBC News, this is Putin’s “preferred method of communicating with newly elected leaders.” We guess it’s always the 1930s in Putin’s world.


A press release put out from the Kremlin reads:

In his message, Mr Putin said he hopes for work together to lift Russian-US relations out of the current crisis, resolve issues on the international agenda, look for effective responses to global security challenges. The President said he is confident that Moscow and Washington can establish a constructive dialogue based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and genuine consideration for each other’s positions. This would be in the interests of both peoples and of the entire international community. Mr Putin wished Mr Trump success in the high office and responsibility of head of state.

Forgive me for being dramatic, but reading the president of Russia talk about looking for “effective response to global security challenges” with someone like Donald Trump, a man who can’t even be trusted with his own Twitter account, makes me want to stab my eyes out.

[The Kremlin via NBC News]