MOSCOW, July 6. /TASS/. Russia and the United States have historically maintained good relations, as the two countries were able to find things that bonded them together, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russian television host Pavel Zarubin.
"We have always had, for a very long time, very good and special relations with the United States. We supported their aspirations for independence from the UK. We actually supplied weapons. We helped them with money," he said. "Afterward, we supported the North during the North-South war."
"So in this sense we found things that united us," Putin went on to say.
The Russian president previously spoke with US leader Donald Trump on July 3 about Moscow’s contribution to US independence and statehood, according to the Kremlin. Putin then congratulated his vis-a-vis on Independence Day, a holiday celebrated on July 4.
As the American colonies fought against the UK, Russia maintained neutrality that played an important role in the outcome of those hostilities. Russia also supported the legitimate government in Washington after the secession of the southern states in 1861. The imperial government in St. Petersburg recognized the authority of the government in Washington over all US territory.