THERE’S a cross ocean bromance brewing between US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘Bright, talented’ … Donald Trump, pictured here with US TV host Jimmy Kimmel, has won over Vladimir Putin. Picture: AP
Putin has anointed Trump as an “absolute leader of the presidential race”, labelling him a “very bright and talented man, without doubt”.
Just days after Putin met with US Secretary of State John Kerry about working together to crush ISIS, the Russian President said he believed Trump wanted a “more solid, deeper level of relations” between Russia and the US.
Differing translations of Putin’s remarks claim he described Trump as either “bright”, “flamboyant” or “colourful”.
Singing praises … Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Donald Trump a ‘very bright … man’. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
In a bizarre heaping of praise that seems to relegate the Cold War to the historic doldrums, Trump and Putin have publicly touted each other’s virtues despite ongoing tensions between their two nations over international crises like Syria, the Ukraine and MH17.
Late yesterday, Trump said he was honoured to be “so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond”.
“I have always felt that Russia and the US should be able to work well with each other towards defeating terrorism and restoring world peace, not to mention trade and all of the other benefits derived from mutual respect.”
Trump through the course of his candidacy has repeatedly praised Putin, declaring he thinks the pair would work well together.
Dream team … US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, pictured with TV host Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Picture: APSource:AP
“He’s got a tremendous popularity in Russia — they love what he’s doing, they love what he represents,” Mr. Trump said earlier this year.
“I was over in Moscow two years ago and I will tell you — you can get along with those people and get along with them well. You can make deals with those people.”
Trump also earlier this year praised Putin as a better leader than Obama: “I will tell you that, in terms of leadership, he’s getting an ‘A’ and our president is not doing so well,” Trump said on Fox. “They did not look good together.”
Mutual admiration … Russian President Vladimir Putin. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
Putin, who made the Trump remarks following a marathon three hour press conference, cautioned it wasn’t Russia’s place to determine Trump’s worthiness for the presidency.
The endorsement from Putin could help Trump shore up his support from the US Christian right who have previously praised the Russian President’s anti-gay laws.
Trump has already received a boost in the Republican polls in recent weeks after proposing his own anti-muslim laws.
US Presidents have long had a complicated relationship with Putin.
Obama has clashed with the Russian leader this year over military efforts to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Former President George W. Bush famously said when he met Putin in 2001: “I looked the man in the eye … I was able to get a sense of his soul.”
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