USPresidentBarackObamaonThursdayrejectedtheideaofhishavingan"icy"relationshipwithRussianPresidentVladimirPutin.
"Iwouldn'tcalliticy,"ObamatoldNBCinaninterviewtapedonThursday.TheinterviewwassettoairFridaynight,butexcerptswerereleasedbytheTVnetwork.
"Thetruthofthematteristhatwhenweareinmeetingstherearealotofexchanges,there'sasurprisingamountofhumor,andalotofgiveandtake,"Obamasaid,addinghehasalwaysbeentreatedbyPutin"withtheutmostrespect."
Washington-MoscowrelationshitanewlowlastyearoversharpdisagreementsoverSyria,missiledefense,humanrightsandthefateofEdwardSnowden,aformerNationalSecurityAgencycontractorwhodisclosedtheagency'smassdomesticandglobalspyingprogram.ObamacanceledasummitwithPutininMoscowinearlySeptember.
OnPutin'ssterndemeanor,Obamasaid: "Mysenseisthat'spartofhisshtickbackhomepoliticallyaswantingtolooklikethetoughguy."
