Story highlights Trump says he might meet with Putin before he even becomes president

US-Russia relations are at a low point not seen since the Cold War

Washington (CNN) Donald Trump wants to hit the ground running with Russia.

The Republican nominee said in an interview Monday that he might meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin before he even makes it into the White House.

"I think I could see myself meeting with Putin and meeting with Russia prior to the start of the administration. I think it would be wonderful," Trump told Michael Savage in an interview for his radio show.

Hillary Clinton and other Democrats have seized on Trump's open admiration for the Russian ruler as a way to cast him at odds with mainstream US thinking on foreign policy.

Trump has largely embraced such a characterization, regularly saying he would prefer to get along with Putin.

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