Donald Trump lavishes praise on ‘leader’ Putin

Russian Federation and the United States are leading the talks, but Russia’s ambassador to the U.N. told reporters that he sees attempts to “undercut” the communiques that have been agreed upon in the Syria discussions so far.

Russia, a top Syria ally, and the West continue to be split on the central issue in any discussions on a political transition: the fate of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

While Republicans have hammered President Barack Obama for failing to do enough to halt Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine, Trump called for decreased US involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.

Speaking with emphasis and gesturing energetically throughout a news conference that lasted more than three hours and was televised live, Putin also vowed that the killing of a Russian opposition leader gunned down near the Kremlin in February will be solved and no one will be immune from prosecution. Putin said Russian Federation would work with “whomever the American voters choose, ” but he singled out Trump. “In its key aspects, it coincides with the American plan: working on the constitution, preparing elections in Syria and the recognition of their results”.

Putin, talking on Thursday at his yr-finish information convention, informed reporters he welcomed Trump’s want for higher relations with Russian Federation.

And in NY, the top USA diplomat has sought to reassure Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir that the United States is not going soft on the Syrian strongman.

KIEV/MOSCOW Ukraine and Russian Federation appear all but certain to take their dispute over a $3 billion Eurobond to court after Ukraine said it would not repay the bond when it matures next week, prompting Russian Federation to cry default and say a legal battle was now on the cards.

“Did they think that we will run away?”

“I know that there are our Turkmen, living in Turkmenistan”, he said, referring to the ex-Soviet Central Asian country. “Current Turkish leadership is nearly impossible to negotiate, or to interact at worldwide level”, Putin said during his annual year-end press conference.

One of Mr Trump’s rivals for the Republican ticket, Jeb Bush, criticised his response to the Russian leader’s remarks on Thursday.

Finally, when asked whether he would condemn Putin’s alleged brutal tactics, Trump responded: “Sure, absolutely”.

Putin has said an analysis of the black box would help determine the downed jet’s flight path and position, which Ankara and Moscow have furiously disagreed upon.

Moscow has made clear to Western nations that it has no objection to the president stepping down eventually as part of a peace process, in a softening of its staunch backing of Assad, diplomats said.

Will Assad and his foreign backers Russian Federation and Iran agree to sit down with rebel groups they routinely denounce as “terrorists”?

On the eve of United Nations talks, Assad warned in an interview with Dutch television that misguided efforts to bring about regime change would make the conflict “drag on”.