President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready to work with the United States no matter who is elected President next year. Putin described US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump as a talented and outstanding man, welcoming his stance on Russia.
In his annual news conference with international reporters in a cavernous hall inside a Moscow conference centre today, Putin said he backed a U.S. plan to prepare a U.N. resolution on Syria even though differences between Moscow and Washington remained. Putin said the Russian military operation will continue in Syria until a political process starts. He said Russia would remove all restrictions on flights to Egypt once reliable anti-terrorist measures were implemented.
On Turkey, which recently shot down a Russian warplane, Putin said he sees no possibility of overcoming the strained ties with the current Turkish leadership.
He again denied that there are Russian troops operating inside eastern Ukraine where a pro-Russian separatist movement is fighting Ukrainian government troops. Putin also said Russia plans no sanctions against Ukraine, but will not extend preferential trade to Kyiv.