Chip Bok's Bokbluster

In 2009 President Obama tried a “reset” with Russia.

During a 2012 campaign debate, Mitt Romney called Russia the “biggest threat” to The United States. To which Obama cracked wise, “the 1980s are calling, they want their foreign policy back“. He tutored Romney that the cold war was over.

Stand Up

Also in 2012, Obama whispered to Russian President Medvedev that he could be more flexible after the election. Medvedev promised to transmit the message to Vladimir.

Now, after the 2016 election, he’s lecturing the world that Trump needs to “stand up to Putin.”

“I don’t expect that the President-elect will follow exactly our approach,” Mr Obama said.

“But my hope is 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 or even if it leaves smaller countries vulnerable, or creates long-term problems in regions like Syria, that we just do whatever’s convenient at the time.”