Why is Putin endorsing Trump?
At his annual end-of-the-year televised press conference in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin debriefed journalists on the Ukraine crisis, Syria and tackling Islamic State, reviving relations with Turkey, Russia鈥檚 flailing economy, and the US presidential election.聽
Mr. Putin singled out Donald Trump.聽
鈥淗e鈥檚 a very lively man, ,鈥� said Putin, according to the . He added Trump is 鈥渢he absolute leader in the presidential race.鈥澛�
Putin said Russia would work with 鈥渨homever America chooses,鈥� but gave special attention to the American real estate magnate and television personality.
鈥淸Trump鈥檚] saying he wants to go to another level of relations, closer, deeper relations with Russia. How can we not welcome that? Of course we welcome that.鈥澛�
Donald Trump in the Republican primaries, coming in first in the polls after the fifth GOP debate on Tuesday. Trump鈥檚 slogan, to 鈥渕ake America great again鈥� could not be more different from Putin鈥檚 agenda 鈥� to reassert Russia as a dominant military and economic force.
Trump has spoken in the past of warming US-Russian relations with Putin, and although he claims the two are very different, he says they share a few similarities. Namely, a mutual .
鈥淚 will get along 鈥� I think 鈥� with Putin, and I will get along with others, ,鈥� Trump said during a GOP debate, adding, 鈥淚 would talk to him. I鈥檇 get along with him.鈥�
Trump has also given something of a backhanded compliment to Putin鈥檚 Syria policy, claiming he would like to 鈥溾�� and watch Russia fall into a self-inflicted 鈥渢rap鈥� by continuing its air strikes in Syria in support of Assad.
Appearing on CBS's "Face The Nation" in October, Trump told host John Dickerson that he was 鈥渁ll for it鈥� if Russia attacked Syria. 鈥淚f he wants to be bombing the hell out of ISIS, which he鈥檚 starting to do, if he wants to be bombing ISIS, let him bomb them. Let him bomb them. .鈥�
Putin鈥檚 relationship with the United States has been tense in recent years. President Obama issued sanctions against Russia for annexing Crimea and has consistently disapproved of Putin鈥檚 support for Assad in Syria. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, has criticized Obama鈥檚 foreign policy. As Alan Rappeport wrote for The New York Times, the unlikely pair seem to be forming something of a 鈥渓ong-distance bromance.鈥澛�
鈥淭he long-distance admiration between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump is not completely surprising, as Mr. Trump has sought to project toughness throughout his campaign. Mr. Putin, a hockey-playing judo expert who can be found riding horses shirtless, projects a similar image in his own way.鈥�
