Vladimir Putin has today praised the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as an outstanding, talented man.

He said: ‘He is a very outstanding man, unquestionably talented. He is the absolute leader of the presidential race.’

Putin further went on to describe Trump as ‘flamboyant’, and claimed Trump wants to move to a ‘deeper level’ of relations with Russia, added: ‘How can we not welcome it? Of course we welcome it.’

During the press conference, he also turned his focus on the Turkish government, which he accused of ‘licking the Americans in one place’.

The two countries remain embroiled in a diplomatic spat after the Turkish army shot down a Russian military jet flying sorties over Syria because it breached its airspace.

Putin remarks come just days after Trump was almost universally condemned for stating he would ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. if he were voted in as president.

It followed further controversies, mostly surrounding his policies on immigration, in which he said he would build a huge wall along the border with Mexico and deport 11million immigrants who are living in the country unregistered.

Putin went on to state Russia is ready to improve ties with the U.S. and work with whomever is elected its next president.

He said his talks with U.S. Secretary John Kerry earlier this week showed that Washington is ready to ‘move toward settling the issues that can only be settled through joint efforts’.

Read More: Putin: Trump An ‘Outstanding, Talented’ Man

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