Donald Trump's praised the Russian president for his decision not to retaliate against new US sanctions.
Barack Obama decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats from the United States - in response to alleged hacking during the US presidential election.
In response, Moscow's announced American officials won't be sent home - choosing instead to invite them to go to the Kremlin for New Year.
Putin's former spokesman Sergey Markov says it's a smart move:
