Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin reportedly set date for first chat

Mr Trump will confer with Mr Putin via phone, CNN reported.

The talk will come after a tumultuous period in US-Russian relations, culminating in Barack Obama, in the final weeks of his presidency, instituting sanctions against Mr Putin’s government over cyber hacking in a bid to influence the US presidential election.

Mr Trump, who has rejected US intelligence agencies’ conclusion that Russia hacked and leaked Democratic-campaign e-mails, says he wants to team up against Mr Putin in the fight against ISIS.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he wants better relations with the US.

TRUMP ON MADONNA: ‘SHE’S DISGUSTING’

Mr Trump has called Madonna “disgusting” and says she hurt the cause of the women marching with her.

“Honestly, she’s disgusting,” Mr Trump told Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity in an interview that aired on Thursday night. “I thought what she did was disgraceful to our country.”

The Material Girl dropped the F-bomb several times and said she thought about “blowing up the White House” during her speech at the women’s march on Saturday.

Mr Trump also told Hannity he disagrees with his secretary of defence, James Mattis on waterboarding.

“I’m sure it’s not pleasant,” Mr Trump said. “But waterboarding is just short of torture.”

The president then claimed he was unfairly criticised for his speech at CIA headquarters.

“I paid great homage to the wall with the stars,” Mr Trump said referring to the memorial that honours agents who died in the line of duty. “It was one standing ovation, the whole thing.”

This story first appeared in the New York Post.