"Trump was a businessman and an entrepreneur. He is a state official now, the head of the United States, one of the world’s leaders, a key global economy and a military power. His success as a businessman means he is a smart person," Putin told an NTV show on Sunday, Sputnik News reported.
As a smart person, he is capable of coming to grips fast with another level of responsibility. We expect him to act with this stance in mind," he added.
Putin and Trump had a phone conversation on November 14, just days after the billionaire businessman won the US presidency in an election.