President Obama discussed the ongoing situation in Ukraine during an interview with Fareed Zakaria of CNN. The conversation focused on U.S. policy towards Russia and its effectiveness.
Zakaria noted that while the U.S. has imposed significant economic costs on Russia, it has not deterred President Vladimir Putin from creating instability in Ukraine. Obama agreed, stating, "I think that’s entirely fair," attributing the situation to "the bad decisions that Mr. Putin is making on behalf of his country."
Obama reflected on past U.S.-Russian relations, mentioning a previous effective working relationship with then-President Dmitry Medvedev and highlighting Russia's economic growth and integration into global systems like the WTO. However, he criticized Putin's actions regarding Crimea and Ukraine as violations of international law and detrimental to Russia's economy.
"There’s no formula in which this ends up being good for Russia," Obama stated, emphasizing that territorial conquest is outdated as a measure of national power.
Despite sanctions and diplomatic pressure from the West, Obama acknowledged limitations due to Ukraine not being a NATO member: "Mr. Putin has not been stopped so far." He stressed reinforcing NATO border states' security but warned against military conflict between the U.S. and Russia.
Obama expressed skepticism about reaching a deal with Putin soon: "What we’ve seen is a lot of talk...but his actions tell another tale." He accused Russian support for separatists in Ukraine but emphasized continued support for Ukrainian reforms under President Poroshenko and Prime Minister Yatsenyuk.
He highlighted Putin's domestic political strategy: "What he has been able to do is to keep his poll numbers up" through nationalism and anti-Western rhetoric reminiscent of Soviet times.
Obama concluded by stressing firm support for allies and European peace principles: "We just have to make sure that we’re firm in protecting our allies."