Vladimir Putin praises ‘front-runner’ Donald Trump

It was not quite an endorsement, but Russian president Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump’s talents and lauded his calls for better ties with Russia.

Speaking to journalists after his annual, marathon news conference, Putin called Trump an “absolute front-runner” in the presidential race and a “bright and talented person”.

Putin said he “certainly welcomes” Trump’s calls for better US-Russia ties. Putin had said earlier he was ready to work with the eventual winner in the presidential race, and Trump has said he could work with Putin.

“I think that I would probably get along with him very well. And I don’t think you’d be having the kind of problems that you’re having right now,” Trump said of Putin in an October interview with CNN,

Meanwhile, Russia and the US agree on a general approach to settling the Syrian crisis, President Putin said, adding that Moscow stands ready to improve ties with Washington.

Putin calls Trump "very outstanding," accuses Turkey of licking America's privates https://t.co/41CseZnkik pic.twitter.com/fyfTZurR3H

— Slate (@Slate) December 18, 2015

Putin also said that Russia will continue its air campaign in Syria until a political process starts, and lashed out at Turkey for trying to “lick the Americans in some of their private parts” by downing a Russian warplane.

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 murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov will be solved and no one will be immune from prosecution.

Commenting on relations with Washington, Putin said that Russia supports a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution on settling the Syrian crisis, presented by US secretary of state John Kerry during his visit to Moscow earlier this week.

“In general, we like it. I believe the Syrian authorities should be okay with it too, although they may not like something in it,” said Putin.

He said concessions must be made by both sides to end the conflict that has killed more than 300,000 and turned millions into refugees since 2011.

He said the Russian approach, “strangely as it may seem, coincides with the US vision: joint work on a constitution, creation of instruments of control over future early elections, holding the vote and recognising its results on the basis of that political process.”

“We will help settle this crisis in every possible way,” Putin said.

At the same time, he reaffirmed Russia’s stance on the key issue that divided Russia and the West, the fate of Syrian president Bashar Assad, saying the Syrians themselves must determine who rules them.

Putin said Kerry’s visit has shown that “the American side is ready to move towards joint settlement of the issues that can only be tackled jointly”.

Putin said that Russia’s air campaign in Syria, launched on September 30, will go on until a peace process starts.