Vladimir Putin Gives “Absolute Leader” Donald Trump A Glowing Endorsement

But Putin says no matter who wins next year’s election, Russia, is also eager to develop better relations.

Putin said his country will try to maintain friendly relations with the Turkish people, but dealing with the country’s leadership has been “practically impossible”.

Mr Putin also said that Russian Federation is ready to work to improve ties with the United States, and to work with anyone who is elected its next president.

“They are taking their first steps in their careers and achieving good results”, Putin said of his daughters, adding that they did not work in business or politics. “He is the absolute leader of the presidential race”, the Russian strongman said. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, has criticized Obama’s foreign policy.

While insisting that Russian Federation has no regular troops in eastern Ukraine, Putin acknowledged that there have been people “performing some military tasks”.

Trump, a tycoon and one-time reality television star who has unexpectedly become leader of the Republican presidential candidates’ race, has gained both fans and enemies recently for inflammatory remarks against Muslims.

Asked about Putin’s comments, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said “it sounds pretty close” to a campaign endorsement for the Republican front-runner. Mr Putin said “Russia must and will be open for a joint fight with doping”, saying he will demand his sports officials fully co-operate with global structures.

Mr Putin said that Russia was particularly annoyed because instead of offering an apology over its “hostile” action that left one of the plane’s pilots and a Russian marine dead, Turkey turned to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for help. “He says that he wants a different level of relations, tighter and deeper relations with Russia”, the Russian president said, before asking, “How can we not welcome that?”

“He’s a really brilliant and talented person, without any doubt”, Putin told reporters, according to a translation posted at BuzzFeed.

“But I think that I would probably get along with him very well. Of course we welcome this”. Trump has openly praised Putin for his leadership skills on numerous occasions, noting that he has a very high approval rating in Russian Federation.