Russian President Vladimir Putin had some high praise for GOP candidate Donald Trump during his annual press conference in Moscow.
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Speaking to journalists after his annual news conference on Thursday, Putin called Trump an “absolute front-runner” in the presidential race and a “bright and talented person”.
Trump suggested in his September “60 Minutes” appearance that the USA should avoid deepening its involvement in Syria, instead allowing Russian Federation to take a leading role in combating the radical Islamist group that has called for attacks on the U.S.
Putin said that Russian Federation will continue its airstrikes in Syria and “support the Syrian Army’s offensive for as long as the Syrian Army conducts its operation”.
Putin said he was unsure whether to keep a permanent base in Syria, because Russia’s new sea- and air-launched cruise missiles used recently in the country have given Moscow enough punch to strike from afar.
“[These are] the most remarkable comments from Secretary of State John Kerry that I’ve ever heard in my life”, the Arizona lawmaker added.
Trump contended during the second Republican presidential debate that he would get along with Putin if elected to the White House.
Putin has come under thinly veiled criticism from US leaders, including President Obama, for his backing of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“You’d have to go all the way back to Neville Chamberlain in Munich to see this kind of pandering towards Vladimir Putin”, he said, comparing Obama with the British Prime Minister who practiced appeasement towards Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
“He says that he wants a different level of relations, tighter and deeper relations with Russian Federation, how can we not welcome that?”
“I like that Putin is bombing the hell out of ISIS”, Trump said in October. “I would get along with a lot of the world leaders that this country is not getting along with”.
Does Putin think Trump is intelligent?
The Russian president sees something he likes in Donald Trump.
“I believe there is certain progress and the relations are improving and Putin noted it, outlining the steps Russian Federation may undertake”, Pushkov told reporters.
So Putin just burned Obama, claiming that relations aren’t on the “Christmas Card Level” that Putin would appreciate.
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Ankara said its fighter jet shot down the Russian bomber after it violated the Turkish airspace for 17 seconds despite repeated warnings, while Moscow insisted that the plane stayed in the Syrian airspace.
