Russian President Vladimir Putin praised U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump during a news conference on Thursday, calling him "an outstanding and talented personality."

According to the Russian TASS news agency, Putin said he considered Trump "the absolute leader" of the U.S. presidential race and he looked forward to working with him.

The Russian president's annual news conference covered many topics, including the country's developing relationship with Washington. The U.S. and Russia have experienced tension in the last two years, due to conflict over the latter's presence in Ukraine, and most recently, its involvement in Syria.

Putin said he would be willing to work with whoever became president, but added "first we need to understand" who will become the new U.S. leader.

The Russian president seemed to heavily favor Trump, who has in the past remarked that he would "get along very well" with Putin, according to CNN.

"(Trump) says he will want to reach another, deeper, level of relations (with Russia). What else can we do but to welcome it? Certainly , we welcome it." Putin said.

Masha Gessen, Russian-American journalist and author of the book "Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin," believed Putin's comments were "sincere." She said the Russian leader had a lot in common with the businessman.

There's a really aggressive posture to both men. Putin respects fighters and he respects aggression and he doesn't respect sort of calm and deliberation," Gessen said. "He wants a manly adversary. He wants somebody he can understand."

Putin is well known for his masculine bravado, often releasing photos of himself topless and engaged in athletic, outdoor activities.

"(Putin) sees himself as someone who doesn't mince words and who gets into verbal fights, as well as knife fights," Gessen said. "And in fact Russians see him like that."

Trump, who often calls out his political opponents on being weak or passive, has differed from other presidential candidates in his acceptance and admiration of Putin.

"I think that I would at the same time get along very well with him. He does not like Obama at all. He doesn't respect Obama at all. And I'm sure that Obama doesn't like him very much," Trump said earlier this year, as quoted by CNN. "But I think that I would probably get along with him very well. And I don't think you'd be having the kind of problems that you're having right now."