Vladimir Putin 2015 media Q&A

Vladimir Putin's 11th annual press conference lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes, much the same as the similar event a year ago. During the event, Putin answered questions from 32 Russian and foreign journalists.

Putin said American presidential candidate Donald Trump is a “talented” person and an “absolute leader” in the US presidential race. The Russian president welcomed Trump's recent statement about stronger cooperation with Russia.

Putin said it was necessary to wait for the official results of the investigation into opposition figure Boris Nemtsov's murder. The president stressed that he has never discussed the matter with Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, even though two Chechen nationals are suspected of committing the killing.

Russian authorities do not plan to lift the ban on adoption of Russian children by foreigners, the president said.

Fighting terrorism implies uniting efforts, not dissipating strength, Putin said.

The creation of an Islamic counterterrorist coalition headed by Saudi Arabia while there is another anti-terrorist coalition headed by the US can be explained by some kind of regional interests, Putin said. The president expressed hope that Moscow and Riyadh will be able to work out common rules of interaction.

Russia's decision to halt flights to and from Egypt is not political and is not a sign of distrust toward the Egyptian leadership; it is necessary to maintain the safety of Russian citizens, Putin said, adding that the Egyptian president is showing great personal courage in the fight against terrorism.

Moscow is ready to cooperate with Kiev authorities on gas transit if Ukraine is capable of acting as Russia's European partners in the Nord Stream project.