Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that a victory by U.S. President George W. Bush would show that American voters had stood up to terrorists.

Speaking hours before Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry conceded to Bush, Putin said: "If Bush wins, I will be able to rejoice that the Americans have not allowed themselves to be scared and made the decision they considered reasonable."

Putin spoke at a news conference after talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

He reiterated remarks made during the U.S. election campaign that terrorists had tried to prevent Bush from getting re-elected.

Calling Bush "a tough politician" and "a safe and predictable partner," he said he hoped U.S.-Russian relations would not go back to square one if Kerry won.

Source: Agencies