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Champagne corks pop in Moscow

MOSCOW (AP) — Champagne corks popped Friday in Moscow as Russians celebrated the start of Donald Trump’s presidency, confident of better relations ahead between the two countries.

“It’s weird, but it’s great, and for the first time ever Russians are applauding the victory of a U.S. presidential candidate,” political analyst Stanislav Byshok said.

Trump’s promises to fix ravaged relations with Moscow have elated Russia’s political elite following spiraling tensions with Washington over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. election.

“We are ready to do our share of the work in order to improve the relationship,” Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Facebook.

About 100 Trump sympathizers, nationalists and spin doctors gathered at a trendy loft just a few hundred meters away from the Kremlin to celebrate Friday, with a triptych of Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French nationalist politician Marine Le Pen in the center of the hall.

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