Putin praises Trump’s ‘significant achievements’

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin says his American counterpart Donald Trump had made “significant achievements” as US leader, rejecting claims that Moscow meddled in the election that brought the American president to power.

Putin speaks in a wide-ranging annual press conference that also touches on Olympic doping and Arctic exploration.

The marathon event, which has in the past lasted up to almost five hours and this year saw more than 1,600 journalists accredited, was Putin’s first major public appearance since announcing he would seek a new six-year term in March 2018 elections.

“We can see several quite significant achievements in the short time he has been at work,” Putin says when asked to assess Trump’s time in power.

“Look at how the markets are reacting, they are growing. This shows confidence in the American economy. With all due respect to (Trump’s) opponents, these are objective facts,” he says.

But he says that accusations Moscow had interfered in last year’s US presidential election to swing the result had been “made up” by US opposition to discredit Trump’s work in the White House.

— AFP