Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thomson Reuters A Bloomberg journalist grilled Russian President Vladimir Putin over which candidate he favors in the US presidential election in an interview published on Friday.

Putin demurred, saying that he didn't have a preference, but Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait pushed him.

"I'm just looking at some of the things that Donald Trump has said about you, like in 2007, he said, 'Putin's doing a great job.' And in 2011, he praised your no-nonsense way, next year he said you were his new best friend, next year he said you were outsmarting the Americans, he said you have good ratings together, I could go on and on like that," Micklethwait said.

The Bloomberg editor added: "You're really telling me that if you have a choice between a woman who you think may have been trying to get rid of you and a man who seems to have this sort of great affection for you, almost bordering on the homoerotic ... you're not going to make a decision between those two? Because one of them would seem to be a lot more favorable toward you."

Putin didn't take the bait.

"You know, I essentially already answered your question," Putin said. "I will reformulate it again in different words. We are ready to work with any president, of course. I also want to say that it depends on how ready the future administration is. If someone says that they want to work with Russia, we will welcome it."

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, praised Putin after the Russian leader described him as "very talented."