"He is the best not because of good policies, but because he is the most transparent, he talks straight 'we need oil,' 'we want to get rid of someone,' 'we want to exchange favours for money.' Such is the United States policy. What can be better than an honest enemy?" Assad said.
He went on to call all US presidents "criminals," who, nevertheless, occasionally receive the Nobel Peace Prize while in reality serving interests of lobbying groups.
Bashar Assad has been fighting against different insurgent groups, often backed by Washington, in a devastating civil war since 2011.
The Syrian government has regained control over most of the territories that were seized by Daesh, however counterterrorist operations still continue in a number of areas.
*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State/IS), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a wide number of other countries.