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Russia congratulates Trump on assuming office — Putin

Donald Trump's inauguration will take place at noon local time

MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration during a Security Council meeting.

"We are now seeing statements from the newly elected US president and members of his team about their desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, which were interrupted, through no fault of ours, by the outgoing administration. We also hear his remarks about the need to do everything possible to prevent World War III. Of course, we welcome this stance and congratulate the president-elect of the United States on his inauguration," Putin said.

Trump's inauguration will take place at noon local time. As the weather in Washington is expected to drop to minus 11 degrees Celsius, Trump and Vice President-elect James David Vance will take the oath of office not in front of the US Congress, as previously planned, but - for the first time in 40 years - in its central hall, the Rotunda, which can accommodate no more than 1,000 people. In Washington, D.C., security measures have been heightened in preparation for the ceremony. A significant part of the city center, adjacent to the White House and Congress, is closed to vehicular traffic. Capitol Hill is cordoned off, and the public has been prohibited from entering it for several days.