Trump backs off praise of Russia's Putin after debate

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump backed off from praising Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, saying he was unsure of his relationship with the Russian president who he has described as a better leader than President Barack Obama.

The day after running mate Mike Pence appeared to break ranks with Trump during a vice presidential debate and called Putin "a small and bullying leader," Trump adjusted his own previously warm rhetoric toward the Russian.

"I don't love [Putin], I don't hate. We'll see how it works. We'll see," Trump told supporters during a campaign stop in the swing state of Nevada. "Maybe we¹ll have a good relationship. Maybe we¹ll have a horrible relationship. Maybe we¹ll have a relationship right in the middle."

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has criticized Trump, who often praises Putin, as being too cozy with the Russian leader and questioned the Republican's business interests in Russia. Those charges were repeated by her vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine during a debate with Pence on Tuesday.

In response, Pence denounced Putin for his interference in Syria's civil war and support for the Bashar al-Assad regime.

"The small and bullying leader of Russia is now dictating terms to the United States,² Pence said. "The greatest nation on earth just withdraws from talks about a ceasefire, while Vladimir Putin puts a missile defense system in Syria."

The vice presidential encounter set the table for a second presidential debate on Sunday in St. Louis between Clinton and Trump, who needs to rebound from a rocky performance in his first debate, one that gave Clinton a boost in national opinion polls with the Nov. 8 Election Day only five weeks away.

In Nevada, Trump suggested Russia could be a valuable ally in the fight against DAISH.

"I will say if we get along with Russia and Russia went out with us and knocked the hell out of [DAISH], that¹s okay with me, folks,² he said. Trump celebrated a strong debate performance by Pence, the governor of Indiana, and said his running mate had won on style and on the issues.