SEOUL, South Korea - At the tail end of his 90 minute meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev Monday, President Obama said that he would have "more flexibility" to deal with controversial issues such as missile defense, but incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to give him "space."
The exchange was picked up by microphones as reporters were let into the room for remarks by the two leaders.
The exchange:
President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him to give me space.
President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you?
President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.
President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.
When asked to explain what President Obama meant, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications Ben Rhodes told ABC News that there is room for the U.S. and Russia to reach an accommodation, but "there is a lot of rhetoric around this issue - there always is - in both countries.
[Related: Obama warns North Korea, Iran]
A senior administration official tells ABC News: "this is a political year in which the Russians just had an election, we're about to have a presidential and congressional elections - this is not the kind of year in which we're going to resolve incredibly complicated issue like this. So there's an advantage to pulling back and letting the technical experts work on this as the president has been saying."
Re: President Obama Asks Medvedev for 'Space' - 'After My Election I Have More Flexibility'
Romney responded to Obama's comment and called Russia "our #1 geopolitical foe"
Pres. Medvedev responded: Romney, in a CNN interview on Monday, had referred to Russia as "our number one geopolitical foe," prompting Medvedev to tell reporters here that the Republican front runner's language seemed out of date and "smelled of Hollywood" stereotypes.
"Regarding ideological clich?s, every time this or that side uses phrases like 'enemy number one', this always alarms me," he said Tuesday in remarks broadcast on Russian television.
"All U.S. presidential candidates" should "do two things," the Russian leader said. "Use their head and consult their reason" and "look at his watch: we are in 2012 and not the mid-1970s.
Ditto... while I know it happens, I wish it did not.
Yep.
exactly. I mean, it's the reality of politics, but from a more realistic perspective it also shows that we have a working relationship with russia.
Frankly, I think Obama is being realistic. It IS a very complicated issue... which means he knows he won't be able to concentrate on it like he needs to, and he'll never get anything through Congress because they'll be focused on making him look as bad/incompetent as possible to try and give Romney an edge. Obama's being smart and getting some breathing space from Russia.
Find me here instead!
Dude. We had angry bloggers with vendettas to deal with. It's like we're running our own country here - patience.
I love this.
Posting something related to foreign policy here is generally akin to talking to yourself
Unless it is about Ubekibekibekistan.
Yeah, I saw it in the news and wondered why it hadn't been posted.
And didn;t care enough to post it myself. I figured it would get little traction anyway.