Trump pledges to deal with Russia without threats
Trump claimed he would get along with Russian leader, adding that the US wouldn't have the problems that it has now with Russia, while declaring a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California on Wednesday night as broadcast on CNN.
Trump was asked how he would respond to Putin's military support for Syria.
"I would talk to him, I would get along with him. I believe, and I may be wrong, in which case I'd probably have to take a different path, but I would get along with a lot of the world leaders that this country is not getting along with," he continued.
Trump said the Russian leader did not respect US President Barack Obama.
"He [Putin] has absolutely no respect for President Obama," he said. "I would get along with world leaders."
Trump also clearly indicated that he would pull US forces out of their current air strikes and cease supporting the opposition Syria.
"We are fighting the Islamic State in Syria. Why are we fighting the Islamic State in Syria?" he asked. "Let them [IS and the Syrian government] fight each other," he said.
Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011. Government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad are fighting against several opposition and radical Islamist militant groups, including the al-Nusra Front (Jabhat al-Nusra) and IS radicals.
Russia has been engaged in international efforts to find a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Syria and has been providing humanitarian aid to the conflict-torn country.
The United States is leading an international coalition that has been conducting airstrikes against IS positions in Iraq and Syria since 2014.
Russia has repeatedly criticized the US-led coalition for not seeking approval from the UN Security Council and the Syrian government before launching the airstrikes.
The United States has also been supporting the so-called moderate Syrian opposition by providing it with training and equipment.
