US President Barack Obama has called on his successor Donald Trump to stand up to Russia, underscoring a major concern that overshadowed his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Following their meeting in Berlin on Thursday, Obama and Merkel held a press briefing to address the future of relations between the US and Europe under the pending presidency of Trump.
Referring to Trump’s many indications at “normalizing” ties with Russia, Obama said he hoped that the New York businessman would protect American values and avoid taking a “realpolitik” approach in his dealings with Moscow.
“I’ve sought a constructive relationship with Russia but what I have also been is realistic in recognizing there is some significant differences in how Russia views the world and how we view the world,” the outgoing president said.
“And my hope is the president-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach: Finding areas where we can…