Russian President Vladimir Putin called out a reporter Tuesday for asking whether he was disappointed by President Trump, saying the U.S. president was not his “bride.”
“He’s not my bride, and I’m also not his bride or groom,” Putin said during a press conference held at the BRICS summit in China. “Trump is guided by the national interests of his country, and I by mine.”
Putin also slammed the journalist’s question about his feelings toward the president as “very naive,” according to Bloomberg Politics.
Putin’s comments follow escalating tensions between Russia and the U.S., with Washington ordering Moscow to shutter three diplomatic compounds so the two countries would have the same number of foreign staff representing their interests abroad.
But Putin expressed optimism that relations soured by disagreements over how to deal with the Syrian conflict and North Korean sanctions could be improved.
“I very much hope that we will be able, as the current U.S. president has said, to reach some compromise in resolving bilateral and international problems,” Putin added.
Putin’s stated aspiration, however, is not shared by all his compatriots.
Nikita Isaev, leader of the far-right New Russia Movement, said on Russia-24 the Kremlin should “hit Donald Trump with our Kompromat,” per the Independent.
Isaev’s use of the word “Kompromat,” translated to mean “compromising material,” refers to a dossier compiled by a former British spy that alleges Russian has embarrassing evidence related to Trump that could be used to blackmail him.
