MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to US leader Donald Trump on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of US independence.

"The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence not only heralded the birth of your nation but also constituted a landmark event in world history. It was then that Russia extended its unequivocal support to the North American colonists in their struggle for freedom from British rule," the message published on the Kremlin website says.

Russia and the United States, as the world's two largest nuclear powers, bear a special responsibility for ensuring global security and stability, Putin also stated. "Today, Russia and the United States as the world’s two largest nuclear powers bear a special responsibility for maintaining international security and stability," Putin said, noting that the two-and-a-half centuries of relations between the two countries include many proud chapters. "We fought as allies in two world wars, together liberating humanity from the horrors of Nazism, and subsequently played a pivotal role in shaping the foundations of the contemporary world order," the president noted.

"The establishment of constructive, equitable and mutually beneficial relations between Moscow and Washington serves the interests not only of our peoples but also of the entire international community," Putin concluded.