Russian President Vladimir Putin says he believes that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump "is a clever person" and will soon realize the level of responsibility his new position entails.
In an interview with the NTV channel aired on December 4, Putin said that Trump's business accomplishments show him to be a "clever man."
"And if [he is] a clever man, then he will fully and quite quickly understand another level of responsibility," Putin said, adding: "We assume that he will be acting from these positions."
The Kremlin said last month that Putin and Trump agreed -- in their first phone call after Trump's election win in November -- on the need to "normalize" Russia-U.S. relations.
On December 1, Putin reiterated Moscow's readiness to work with Trump's administration once the president-elect takes office in January.
Trump has said he looks forward to "a strong and enduring relationship with Russia."
