Yes, Putin did.
No, Trump did not say Putin said he was brilliant. He said it tongue in cheek.
“Russia’s got plenty of problems, but I’ll tell you what, if Putin likes me, and if he thinks I’m a good, smart person, which I hope he believes - actually he’s right, I am brilliant,’ GOP front-runner Donald J. Trump said at a rally on Saturday.
Putin’s quote on Trump...
“He’s a very flamboyant and very talented person, without any doubt. .... It’s not our job to judge his qualities, that’s a job for American voters, but he’s the absolute leader in the presidential race as we see it today.”..... ....adding that Russia would work with “whomever the American voters choose”.
Afterwards Putin added.....”He says he wants to move on to a new, more substantial relationship, a deeper relationship with Russia, how can we not welcome that? Of course we welcome that.”