Putin likes Trump, but not US political system

MOSCOW — In new interviews, Russian President Vladimir Putin lavishes praise on President Donald Trump but said he is sorely disappointed with the U.S. political system, saying that it has been “eating itself up.”

Speaking in interviews with state television that were included in a documentary released Wednesday, Putin described Trump as a great communicator.

“Moreover, on a personal level, he made a very good impression on me,” Putin said, calling Trump a “balanced” man who easily gets into the gist of issues and listens to his interlocutor.

“It’s possible to negotiate with him, to search for compromises,” Putin added.

But as for the U.S. political system, Putin said “it has demonstrated its inefficiency.”

“It’s quite difficult to interact with such a system, because it’s unpredictable,” Putin said.

Russia-U.S. ties have been strained by the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and other issues. Tensions have escalated amid the investigations into allegations of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

The Russian leader said he was particularly dismayed by what he described as the U.S. role in the ouster of Ukraine’s Russiafriendly president, Viktor Yanukovych, in February 2014.

Putin said the U.S. had asked Russia to persuade Yanukovych not to use force against protesters but in return sponsored a “coup.” Russia responded, annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.

“Few expected us to act so quickly and so resolutely, not to say daringly,” Putin said.

“Those who serve us with poison will eventually swallow it and poison themselves,” he said.

Putin, who bragged of new nuclear weapons last week, voiced hope that such weapons will never be used. But, he added, “If someone makes a decision to destroy Russia, then we have a legitimate right to respond.

“Yes, it will mean a global catastrophe for mankind ... but as a citizen of Russia and the head of (the) Russian state, I would ask: What is such a world for, if there were no Russia?”