Russian President Vladimir Putin described U.S. President Donald Trump as “a rather comfortable conversational partner,” in response to question that Feng Shaolei of the Center for Russian Studies in Shanghai asked him at the Oct. 2 Valdai Discussion Club meeting. Putin described his August 15 meeting with President Trump in Anchorage, Alaska as “overall a good thing. I have known President Trump for a long time. He may come across as a bit of a shocker—everyone can see that—but, interestingly enough, he is a kind of person who knows how to listen. He listens, he hears, and he responds. That makes him a rather comfortable conversational partner, I would say. The fact that we attempted to explore potential solutions to the Ukrainian crisis is, in my view, positive in itself.”
Putin added that U.S.-Russian relations “are not just at an impasse, but at their lowest point in history,” and therefore “I believe that the very fact of our meeting, the very fact that the visit took place—and I am grateful to the President for how he organized it—all signify that it is time to think about restoring bilateral relations. I believe this is good for everyone: for us bilaterally, and for the entire international community.”
Putin was emphatic about his evaluation of Trump: “You know, I speak sincerely. As I mentioned, he enjoys grandstanding, in my opinion, but also poses questions sharply. As I said in my remarks, he defends his national interests as he defines them. But sometimes, I repeat, sometimes it is better to hear a direct position than ambiguities that are difficult to decipher.… I want this to be clear: we engaged in discussion. It was not a case of one side declaring: I believe you must do this, or you must do that—‘take your hat off,’ so to speak. Do you understand? That did not happen.”
