Vladimir Putin said he was optimistic about future of ties with US and called his relationship with President Barack Obama “wonderful.”
Putin was quoted by German political scientist Alexander Rahr after a meeting with the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi.
Rahr said Putin was “very positive” on the US leader and that he had “wonderful relations with Obama.”
The expert also said Putin had confessed to being pleasantly “surprised” by Moscow and Washington’s “common evaluations” of many global issues.
Vladimir Putin also said at a meeting with the Valdai International Discussion Club that he and President Dmitry Medvedev were people from "one party" and pledged there would be no "shocks" at the 2012 presidential elections.
Rahr said that at last year's meeting with the Valdai Club participants, Putin called himself and Medvedev people of "one blood."
"This year he said: 'We are people of one... party,'" Rahr quoted Putin.
According to Rahr, Putin said that the tandem with Medvedev was different from similar set-ups in other countries in that there was no political tension between them.
RIA Novosti