Trump's victory in the election may lead to a valuable outcome for Moscow - the removal or reduction of sanctions imposed by the US and EU in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine. These sanctions have hurt Russia's economy, and lifting them could attract more investment, helping Putin secure another term as president in 2018. Charles Robertson, the global chief economist at Renaissance Capital, believes the likelihood of sanctions being lifted has greatly increased, which would benefit Russia's investment climate. Russia's rouble currency and stocks saw an increase following Trump's election win, while Ukraine's dollar-denominated bonds experienced a decline, reflecting concerns about how a Trump presidency would impact the country. The Kremlin had anticipated strained relations with Hillary Clinton as president, whom Putin accused of inciting protests against him. In contrast, Trump was viewed more favorably, with Putin praising his talent and the media depicting him as a bold political outsider. Despite the skepticism in Moscow, a small group of Trump supporters in the city celebrated his victory in a bar adorned with images of Putin, Trump, and Marine Le Pen. Russia's parliament cheered and Putin expressed willingness to mend relations with Washington. Russian media portrayed a Trump lookalike mocking Clinton, while RT's Margarita Simonyan planned to display a US flag in Moscow. However, there was a realization that Trump's promises may not all come to fruition and that tensions between the two countries would persist. Congressional restrictions could also hinder Trump's attempts to ease sanctions on Russia. Executives from Western companies believe that the main challenge in making deals with Russia is not the sanctions themselves, but the fear of more sanctions being imposed and the strict enforcement of existing sanctions. They suggest that if a Trump administration were to indicate a more relaxed approach, investments could resume despite the sanctions remaining in place. This change in US stance could also undermine the resolve of European countries to maintain sanctions. Some European nations are already showing signs of wavering in their support for the sanctions, with certain member states finding ways to bypass them and others calling for discussions on moving forward. Additionally, some business groups in countries like Germany are actively lobbying against the sanctions. Up until now, the US has played a role in strengthening European solidarity on this issue. Many European banks opted out of participating in Russia's Eurobond placement in May due to concerns about US financial regulators. Political analyst Masha Lipman suggested that American leadership in sanctions against Russia has kept Europe united, but with Donald Trump as President, there may be potential changes that could benefit Russia. Putin is eager to have sanctions removed as they could negatively impact his re-election chances. Russia's central bank is predicting economic growth of only up to 1 percent next year, much lower than what Russian households are accustomed to. Following previous downturns, economic recoveries have been fueled by foreign loans and investments. There are indications that the economy's struggles are eroding support for Putin, a trend expected to continue leading up to the Russian presidential election in 18 months. Experts on Kremlin affairs noted that even if US-Russia relations improved under Trump's presidency, any agreement would require tough negotiations from both sides. Russia is aiming for global recognition of Crimea as part of its territory, a goal that has only been achieved by a few countries. Additionally, Russia wants Kiev to take more action in implementing a peace agreement for eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are in control. In Syria, Russia is assisting President Bashar al-Assad in a war with air strikes and military support. Russia is urging the West to abandon plans to change the government, stop supporting hardline Islamists, and refrain from discussing potential no-fly zones. One potential scenario is a trade-off, where Russia may offer concessions on Syria in return for the United States easing its stance on Ukraine and sanctions. According to Georgy Bovt, editor of Russkiy Mir magazine, Ukraine is the main concern for Russia, and if President Trump indicates that the US is not concerned about Ukraine, Russia would be satisfied. This could make it easier to reach an agreement on Syria. I believe that Russia will be willing to make compromises on Assad because Ukraine holds more importance for them. There has been much talk in both Russian and Western media about the similarities and differences between Putin and Trump, who have not yet met. They both have a tendency to speak boldly, and some Russian politicians have suggested that they could develop a strong working relationship similar to the one Putin had with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Trump has mentioned the possibility of meeting Putin before taking office, but Putin's spokesperson has stated that there are currently no plans for such a meeting. Individuals who are familiar with the leadership styles of both men cautioned that they are easily offended by criticism. Andrey Kortunov, the director general of the Russian International Affairs Council, which is closely associated with the Foreign Ministry, expressed concerns about Trump's lack of political experience, calling him unpredictable. There were also worries that Putin and Trump may have similar aggressive personalities, according to Sergei Markov, a Kremlin-connected analyst and former pro-Putin lawmaker. "They could attempt to assess each other. We must prevent that from occurring."