"First, the president [Trump] congratulates him [Putin] and looks forward to the time when we can hopefully have a good relationship with Russia," Sanders told reporters.
The inauguration ceremony of the re-elected Russian president was held in the Grand Kremlin Palace on Monday, giving an official start to his fourth presidential term, which will last through 2024.
Having taken the oath, Putin delivered a speech in which he outlined the main priorities of his work during the coming six years. Putin noted that Russia is open to dialogue and will seek equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with all states in the interest of peace and stability on our planet.
In March, Trump called Putin to congratulate him on the victory in the Russian presidential election and invited him to come to the United States. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday no steps to arrange the bilateral meeting had been taken since then.
