However, Trump's victory in the election could potentially give Moscow a significant benefit - the removal or reduction of sanctions imposed by the US and EU in response to Russia's actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. This could lead to increased investment in Russia's struggling economy, potentially helping Putin secure another term as president in 2018 by demonstrating economic growth. Charles Robertson, Renaissance Capital's chief economist, believes that the likelihood of sanctions being lifted on Russia has greatly increased, which would have a positive impact on the country's investment climate. Russia's currency and stocks saw an increase following Trump's election win, while Ukraine's dollar-denominated bonds experienced a decline as concerns grew over what a Trump presidency would mean for the country. The Kremlin had expected tense relations with a potential Clinton win, as she was portrayed as anti-Russian by state media. In contrast, Trump was seen in a more favorable light, with Putin calling him "very talented" and Kremlin-backed media portraying him as a bold political outsider. Despite the skepticism in Moscow, a small group of Trump-supporting nationalists celebrated his victory in a bar adorned with portraits of Putin, Trump, and Marine Le Pen. Russia's parliament cheered and Putin expressed willingness to mend relations with Washington. State TV aired a video of a Russian Trump lookalike mocking a defeated Clinton, and the head of RT, Margarita Simonyan, planned to drive around Moscow with a US flag in celebration. However, there was a realization that Trump's promises may not all come to fruition, and tensions between Russia and the US will likely persist. Congressional restrictions could also hinder Trump's efforts to ease sanctions on Russia. Executives from Western companies believe that the main challenge in making deals with Russia is not the current sanctions, but rather the fear of additional sanctions being imposed and the strict enforcement of existing ones. If the Trump administration were to indicate a more lenient approach, investments could potentially resume despite the sanctions remaining in place. A more relaxed stance from the US could also undermine the determination of European countries to maintain sanctions. Some EU member states are already finding ways to bypass the sanctions, while others are calling for discussions on moving forward, and certain business groups in countries like Germany are actively lobbying against them. Up until now, the US has played a role in strengthening European resolve on sanctions. When Russia issued a Eurobond in May, several European banks opted out to avoid angering US financial regulators. According to political analyst Masha Lipman, America's influence has kept Europe united on sanctions, but with Donald Trump as president, there may be potential changes that could benefit Russia. Putin is eager for sanctions to be lifted as they could harm his chances of being re-elected. The Russian central bank is predicting economic growth of up to 1 percent next year, which is significantly lower than what Russian households are used to. Following previous declines, recoveries have been fueled by foreign borrowing and investment. There are indications that the economy's struggles are weakening support for Putin, a trend that is expected to continue leading up to the Russian presidential election in 18 months. Analysts who closely follow the Kremlin believe that even if US-Russia relations improve under Trump's administration, any agreement would require tough negotiations from both sides. Russia is pushing for international recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, a status it has only secured from a few countries. Additionally, Russia wants Ukraine to take more action in implementing a peace agreement for eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have significant influence. In Syria, Russia is assisting President Bashar al-Assad in the fight against a war through air strikes and military support. Russia is urging the West to abandon any plans to change the government, cease support for what it views as extremist groups, and refrain from discussing potential no-fly zones. There is a possibility of a trade-off, where Russia could make concessions on Syria in return for the United States giving ground on Ukraine and sanctions. According to Georgy Bovt, editor of Russkiy Mir magazine, Ukraine is the main concern for Russia, and if the US shows indifference towards it, Russia will be more willing to negotiate on Syria. The media has focused on the similarities and differences between Putin and Trump, who have never met. Some Russian politicians believe they could develop a close working relationship like Putin had with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Trump has mentioned the possibility of meeting Putin before his inauguration, but Putin's spokesman has stated that there are no current plans for a meeting. Individuals who are familiar with both men's leadership styles cautioned that both Putin and Trump were sensitive to criticism. Andrey Kortunov, director general of the Russian International Affairs Council, a think-tank linked to the Foreign Ministry, expressed concerns about Trump's unpredictability as a new politician. He described Trump as a loose cannon. Additionally, there were worries that Putin and Trump's similar macho personalities could be problematic. Sergei Markov, a Kremlin-connected analyst and former pro-Putin lawmaker, highlighted this concern. "They could attempt to assess each other. We must not allow that to occur."