Vladimir Putin Praises Donald Trump: He is Someone You Can Talk To

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, praised Donald Trump, the President of the United States, calling him someone with whom dialogue is possible and compromises can be reached. Putin criticized the American political system, stating, "This system is eating itself." In several press and television interviews released on Wednesday, he referred to Trump as a "great communicator" and expressed that he has never been disappointed in him. Putin stated, "I am not disappointed in him (Donald Trump). I must say that personally, he has had a very good impact on me." The Russian and American presidents met last year during various global summits. Putin described Trump as a "balanced man" and added, "As soon as you talk to him, he gets the point and listens very well to what the person he is talking to is saying." He emphasized that dialogue with Trump is possible and compromises can be reached. Putin also mentioned that he had the opportunity to converse with Melania Trump, the First Lady of the United States, during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. He discussed Kamchatka in Russia, fishing in that area, and tigers and bears in the Russian Far East with Melania Trump and the wife of the Italian Prime Minister. The report states that Putin, while smiling, remarked, "Of course, I exaggerated a bit. When it comes to fishing, you can't exaggerate." One journalist jokingly asked Putin if he was recruiting women for espionage. Putin, a former KGB officer and the former head of the FSB, replied, "No, I stopped recruiting a long time ago." He then added with a smile, "But I enjoyed it. That was my job for many years." Putin criticized the current state of the political system in the U.S., saying, "Right now we see that the political system (in America) is showing its inefficiencies and is eating itself." He stated, "With such a system, it is very difficult to have dealings; it is unpredictable." Relations between Russia and the U.S. have been strained since the Ukraine crisis when Russia annexed Crimea. In response to a question about the existing tensions between Russia and the West, Putin said these issues "stem from the West's attempts to weaken Russia." The Russian President stated, "We are a great power, and no one likes competition." He also described Western sanctions against Russia due to the Crimea crisis and unrest in Eastern Ukraine as "illegitimate" and "unjust," asserting that "these are all aimed at limiting Russia, but in the long run, we will emerge victorious." Putin remarked, "Whoever offers us poison will ultimately drink that poison themselves." During his annual address to the Federal Assembly, Putin spoke about Russia's new weapons, some of which he called "invincible" and "untraceable," expressing hope that there will never be a need to use nuclear weapons. He stated, "The decision to use nuclear weapons is only in the case that warning signs indicate that shots have been fired at us and it is confirmed that a nuclear warhead has been tracked heading towards Russia and within the borders of the country." He added, "If someone decides to destroy Russia, we then have the legitimate right to respond." Putin said, "Yes, it would cause a global catastrophe for humanity and the entire world. But as a citizen of Russia and its president, I must ask: If there is to be no Russia, then what is the world for?"