The truth about the 'friendship' between the two leaders Trump and Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is not "friends" with Donald Trump because they do not even know each other, but hopes to build a personal relationship with the US President.

Mr. Putin met with heads of world news agencies at the 21st International Economic Forum (ICF) in St. Petersburg on June 1, RT reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and his US counterpart Donald Trump. (Photo: Reuters)

When asked about his "friendship" with Donald Trump, the Russian President replied: "How can someone be friends with someone he doesn't know? I think, Mr. Trump can't call me his friend and neither can I. We don't know each other. We've never met."

However, Mr Putin said that in general he liked the type of person that Mr Trump represented and believed his American counterpart was a "straightforward, honest" person.

"He cannot be judged as a traditional politician. He has never been active in politics," the Russian president asserted, calling for the opportunity to "have a fresh assessment" of one of Mr. Trump's advantages.

Mr Putin also recalled his US counterpart's statements during the election campaign about the need to restore meaningful ties between Washington and Moscow. "We are ready for dialogue with the US president," the Russian leader asserted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump had a phone call that lasted more than an hour on January 28. The Kremlin later said the two leaders could meet before the G20 summit, scheduled to take place in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7 and 8.

According to VNN