Obama Urges Trump To Stand Up To Russia [VIDEO]

Politico reports:

President Barack Obama urged his successor Thursday to stand up for American values in his dealings with Russia and avoid taking a more practical, “realpolitik approach.”

“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,” Obama said at a joint press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He added: “And my hope is the president-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach: Finding areas where we can cooperate with Russia, where our values and interests align” but be “willing to stand up to Russia where they are deviating from our values and international norms.”

Obama has taken significant steps to moderate his tone toward Trump since his election on Nov. 8. As he did Thursday in Berlin, Obama has couched any criticism of Trump with a “wait and see” approach. But his comments on Russia were perhaps his most direct attempt to convince his successor to hew to his line on foreign policy.