Who's tougher, Putin or Xi? Here's what Trump said

US President Donald Trump, successful his trademark candid style, weighed successful connected 2 of the world's astir almighty figures -- Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping -- describing some arsenic "smart" and "strong," and asserting that they're "not to beryllium toyed with."Speaking to CBS News successful a wide-ranging interrogation connected planetary powerfulness dynamics, Trump was asked straight by the interviewer: "Who's tougher to woody with, Vladimir Putin oregon Xi Jinping?"

Without skipping a beat, Trump replied, "Both tough. Both smart. Both—look, they're some precise beardown leaders. These are radical not to beryllium toyed with. These are radical you person to instrumentality precise serious. They're not—they're not walking successful saying, 'Oh, isn't it a beauteous day?'"He quipped further, "Look however beautiful. The prima is shining, it's truthful nice."

Then added, "These are superior people. These are radical that are tough, astute leaders."The interrogation besides touched connected the Alaska talks, wherever Trump rolled retired a red-carpet invited for Putin successful a bid to beforehand bid efforts amid the ongoing Ukraine warfare -- talks that person truthful acold yielded small progress. Defending his approach, Trump said, "Well, I rotation retired the reddish carpet for everybody."Turning to atomic security, Trump expressed interest implicit planetary stockpiles portion acknowledging America’s dominance successful weapons capability.

"Well, we person much atomic weapons than immoderate different country. Russia's second. China's a precise distant third, but they'll beryllium adjacent successful 5 years. You know, they're makin' 'em rapidly, and I deliberation we should bash thing astir denuclearization, which is gonna beryllium some—and I did really sermon that with some President Putin and President Xi," helium said.He warned of the increasing risks, adding, "Denuclearization's a precise large thing. We person capable atomic weapons to stroke up the satellite 150 times. Russia has a batch of atomic weapons, and China volition person a lot."