US President Donald Trump defended his congratulations to Vladimir Putin on the Russian president’s re-election victory, saying he wants Putin’s help in solving crises from North Korea to Syria and beyond.
Trump drew fire from Republicans and Democrats alike for telling reporters on Tuesday that he had congratulated Putin on his re-election and that the two leaders had made tentative plans to meet in the “not too distant future,” Reuters reported.
"I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also). The fake news media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump said via Twitter.
"They can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming Arms Race," Trump added.
