Donald Trump thinks Vladimir Putin is a better president than Barack Obama

Donald Trump, the US Republican presidential candidate, on Wednesday night heaped praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin saying that he is a better president than his US counterpart, Barack Obama.

"(Putin) has very strong control over a country. Now, it's a very different system and I don't happen to like that system. But certainly in that system, he's been a leader far more than our president has been a leader," Trump said at NBC's commander-in-chief forum in New York.

The Republican presidential candidate has praised Putin previously as well saying that he would have a "very, very good" relationship with the Russian president if he got elected to the White House as US president in November.

"I think when he calls me brilliant, I'll take the compliment. If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him. I've already said he is really very much of a leader," Trump was quoted by NBC as saying, when asked about Putin's complimentary remarks in an interview held in the presence of military veterans. He added that the Russian president's compliments would have "zero impact" on him and that it would not "get him (Putin) anywhere. I'm a negotiator."

However, when Trump was quizzed about the criticism against Putin's annexation of Crimea, support of the insurrection in Ukraine and backing of Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad, the Republican candidate pointed fingers at Obama saying: "Do you want me to start naming some of the things that President Obama does at the same time?"

Several people, including Hillary Clinton, have criticised Trump for his positive remarks on Putin.