US President Barack Obama on Tuesday slammed Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump's "flattery" of Russia's Vladimir Putin as "unprecedented" and "out of step" with both Democrats and rank-and-file Republicans.

"Mr Trump's continued flattery of Mr Putin and the degree to which he appears to model many of his policies and approach to politics on Mr Putin is unprecedented in American politics," Obama told reporters.

"Mr Trump rarely surprises me these days. I'm much more surprised and troubled by the fact that you have Republican officials who historically have been adamantly anti-Russian and, in fact, have attacked me for even engaging them diplomatically now supporting and in some cases echoing his positions."

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/246080.aspx