Putin clarifies Trump comment and says America is the world's 'only superpower'

Putin clarifies Trump comment and says America is the world's 'only superpower'

"America is a great power. Today, probably, the only superpower. We accept that," the
Russian president said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. "We want to
and are ready to work with the United States."
Alluding to US-EU sanctionslll on Russia in response to its military actions in Ukraine
he continued. "The world needs such strong nations, like the US. And we need them. But
we don't need them constantly getting mixed up in our affairs, instructing us how to live,
preventing Europe from building a relationship with us."
Asked about the presumptive Republican nominee for president, Putin again described
Trump as a "flamboyant" or "colorful" man, using a Russian word — "MPKMVf131" -
that can be translated with ambiguous connotations, from gaudy to striking to dazzling.
"You see, it's like I said," Putin told his questioner. "Trump's a colorful person. And
well, isn't he colorful? Colorful. I didn't make any other kind of characterization about
him.
"But here's where I will pay close attention, and where I exactly welcome and where on
the contrary I don't see anything bad: Mr Trump has declared that he's ready for the full
restoration of Russian-American relations. Is there anything bad there? We all welcome
this, don't you?"
In December, months before Trump clinched the Republican nomination, Putin called
him "a colorful person, talented, without any doubt" and said: "It's not our business to
decide his merits, that's for US voters, but he is absolutely the leader in the presidential
race."
Trump has for months misinterpreted Putin's comments as "a great honor" and clear
praise, rather than consider the various meanings Of the word.
"When people call you brilliant, it's always good, especially when the person heads up
Russia," he told MSNBC shortly after Putin's original comments.
In May Trump falsely described the comments as a compliment Of his intelligence. "They
want me to disavow Putin," he said. "Putin of Russia said Trump is a genius."
Trump has proposed US-Russian cooperation regarding Syria, counter-terrorism and
trade deals, and defended Putin's record on eliminating a free press. The Kremlin and
its allies have over 15 years dismantled independent news organizations, and the 2006
murder of investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya(81 has also been linked by activists
to Putin's Kremlin. Trump told ABC in December: "it's never been proven that he killed
anybody. "
The businessman's top campaign aide, Paul Manafort, was an adviser to Viktor
Yanukovych, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician who was fled to Russia after a 2014
revolution ousted him from office.
Putin also spoke carefully on Friday about the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary
Clinton, saying he did not work much with her directly when she was secretary of state.
"She probably has her own view of US-Russian relations," he said.

But he praised her husband, former president Bill Clinton, saying: "We had a very nice
relationship.
"I can even say that I'm grateful to him for several moments, when I was making my
entrance into world politics. On several occasions he showed signs of attention, respect
to me personally and to Russia."
The diplomatic remarks belie the cold and increasingly hostile relations between Clinton
and Putin toward the end Of her time in the Obama administration. In 2011, when he was
prime minister of Russia and facing massive street protests, Putin accused the then
secretary of state of fomenting dissent. Clinton's state department, he said, had sent
a "signal" and "support" to opposition leaders.
On Friday Putin insisted Russia does not interfere in other nation's affairs, and that the
Kremlin would be glad to work with any leader elected abroad.
"We need to bring back trust to Russia-European relations and restore the level of
cooperation," he said. 

Response: This article is slightly biased against Donald Trump, but in very subtle ways. This article, to me, seems to display Trump's inability to manage international affairs. Trump, while an intelligent person, is portrayed in this article to be slightly obsessed with himself and unable to understand the comments and views of other leaders around the world. The world leaders recognize Trump as the likely next president so their opinions of him are clouded over with diplomacy and carefully put as to not directly offend or insult; however, Trump, in his selfish view of life often views these comments as direct praise. Personally, the biggest reason why I am opposed to Trump as president would be his inability to deal with international affairs in a delicate and diplomatic manner, which I see (even despite the bias) displayed within this article.

Citation: Yuhas, Alan. "Putin clarifies Trump comment and says America is the world's 'only superpower'". 18 June 2016. Guardian News and Media Limited. 21 June 2016.