Trump has a very honest view of things, I like such people: Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin said he had a lot in common with the US leader

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday praised the US President Donald Trump and said he was exactly the kind of person he liked most.

Putin said he had never met Trump but that he agreed relations between their countries had to improve and he was willing to talk with the US leader.

"I have to recognize that I love that kind of person. They are simple, direct, they have a very honest view of things and that can be very advantageous," Efe quoted him as saying.

He said he had a lot in common with the US leader as he considered that neither were professional politicians and highlighted that he himself had never been a member of a party.

Nonetheless, records show that Putin entered the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1970 while attending St. Petersburg State University, and remained a member until December 1991.

Putin insisted that whether he liked Trump or not was irrelevant, as the important thing was to establish a good personal and political relationship regardless.

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"I don't know if this will be possible, but we are patient and we will wait to see what happens," he said.

In response to a question on what advice he would give to the White House's new occupant, Putin said a person like Trump did not need tips and especially not from a counterpart such as himself, as the advice was always misinterpreted and thus counter-productive.

The Russian leader said that what Moscow perceived to be growing global Russophobic sentiments were caused by the country's defense of its legitimate interests in the international arena.(read more)