Vladimir Putin calls Donald Trump a ‘very bright and talented man’

President Vladimir Putin hailed Donald Trump as the “absolute leader” in the USA presidential contest, praising the candidate’s talk about building a deeper relationship with Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wants to develop better ties with the United States no matter who wins next year’s USA presidential election. “How can we not welcome that?”

“It is not our business to determine his merits, that is up to USA voters”, Mr Putin told reporters after his annual televised news conference.

“He does not like Obama at all”.

“He does not like Obama at all; he doesn’t respect Obama at all”, Trump said then. “I think we probably work together much more so than right now”. Talented, without any doubt.

Putin applauded Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Moscow this week, since it shows the Kremlin “in general the USA side is also ready to move towards a joint solution to those issues that can be solved jointly”.

Putin’s daughters, Maria and Katerina, born in 1985 and 1986 respectively according to his official biography, are kept away from the limelight and the Russian president rarely discusses his personal life.

Donald Trump is “outstanding” and “unquestionably talented”. “I’d get along with him”.

Turkey did what? He clearly hasn’t forgiven Turkey for shooting down a Russian military jet, using Putinesque language to suggest the Turks were currying favor with the US.

“They have never been ‘star children” they have never got pleasure from the spotlight being directed on them.

Never at loss for words, Putin was as straight-forward as ever at his annual Q&A session.

Answering a question about Ukraine – with which relations remained strained over a smouldering conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea – Putin appeared to confirm the presence of Russian Special Forces in east Ukraine for the first time.

Even if they’re telling the truth when they say they didn’t know whose plane it was, what should you do in that situation?

Putin speculated on the possibility of Turkey and the US reaching an agreement to down a Russian aircraft November 25 when it entered Turkish airspace and then let Turkey invade and occupy Iraq while America look the other way.