Obama: Trump Should Be 'Willing To Stand Up To Russia'
- 8 years ago
President Obama has said that he hopes, when it’s necessary, Donald Trump will “stand up to Russia.” He made this comment during a press conference on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
President Obama has said that he hopes, when it’s necessary, that Donald Trump will “stand up to Russia.”
He made this comment during a press conference on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel whom he has described as likely his “closest international partner these past eight years.”
At one point in the event, a reporter asked Obama about the different views he and Trump have on Russia.
The president responded by saying, “Russia is an important country. It is a military superpower. It has influence in the region and it has influence around the world.”
He eventually went on to state, “My hope is that the President-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach, finding areas where we can co-operate with Russia, where our values and interests align. But that the President-elect also is willing to stand up to Russia where they are deviating from our values and international norms.”
Obama then said, “I don’t expect that the president-elect will follow exactly our blueprint or our approach. But my hope is that he does not simply take a ‘realpolitik’ approach and suggest that if we just cut some deals with Russia, even if it hurts people or even if it violates international norms...that we just do whatever is convenient at the time.”
However, he continued by saying, “I am encouraged by the president-elect’s insistence that NATO is a commitment that does not change, and his full commitment to NATO as the foundation for our international security, I think, is very important.”
President Obama has said that he hopes, when it’s necessary, that Donald Trump will “stand up to Russia.”
He made this comment during a press conference on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel whom he has described as likely his “closest international partner these past eight years.”
At one point in the event, a reporter asked Obama about the different views he and Trump have on Russia.
The president responded by saying, “Russia is an important country. It is a military superpower. It has influence in the region and it has influence around the world.”
He eventually went on to state, “My hope is that the President-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach, finding areas where we can co-operate with Russia, where our values and interests align. But that the President-elect also is willing to stand up to Russia where they are deviating from our values and international norms.”
Obama then said, “I don’t expect that the president-elect will follow exactly our blueprint or our approach. But my hope is that he does not simply take a ‘realpolitik’ approach and suggest that if we just cut some deals with Russia, even if it hurts people or even if it violates international norms...that we just do whatever is convenient at the time.”
However, he continued by saying, “I am encouraged by the president-elect’s insistence that NATO is a commitment that does not change, and his full commitment to NATO as the foundation for our international security, I think, is very important.”