Russian politicians reportedly burst into applause as an MP broke the news of Donald Trump's emphatic election victory. Clapping and cheering in the State Duma - the country's parliament equivalent - muffled an announcement by foreign affairs committee member Vyacheslav Nikonov that  Mr Trump had triumphed.


State news agency RIA-Novosti and Russian website Interfax.com quoted Mr Nikonov, also an education committee chairman, as saying: "Three minutes ago, Hillary Clinton acknowledged her defeat in the US presidential elections and just seconds ago, Trump began his speech as president-elect. I congratulate all of you on this."


Russian President Vladimir Putin today congratulated Donald Trump for his victory in US elections, hoping to work with him to improve relations, the Kremlin said in a statement.


Putin "expressed hope for mutual work on bringing US- Russia relations out of their critical condition" and said that "building constructive dialogue" would be in the interest of both countries and the world community, the Kremlin statement said.