The exchange surfaced on Saturday night in an excerpt from the interview, which is to be broadcast on Sunday before the Super Bowl. What Mr. Trump was specifically referring to or whether there was added context that came after his comment was not immediately clear based on the excerpt that was made available.

In the interview, Mr. Trump was asked if he respected Mr. Putin. He said he did, adding that he respected “a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with him.”

Mr. Trump continued: “He’s a leader of his country. I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not. And if Russia helps us in the fight against ISIS — which is a major fight — and Islamic terrorism all over the world — major fight — that’s a good thing. Will I get along with him? I have no idea. It’s very possible that I won’t.”

Mr. Trump’s campaign pledge to mend ties with Moscow has raised questions over his administration’s commitment to maintaining sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the fighting and annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.