Cheney: ‘No Question’ Putin Believes Obama is Weak (+video)
Photo Credit: Evan Vucci/APFormer Vice-President Dick Cheney said Sunday there is “no question” Russian President Vladimir Putin believes President Obama is weak. In response to Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, he said, there are steps the U.S. could take to send a “strong signal” to European friends and allies that America honors its commitments.
“I think there’s any – no question he believes he is weak,” Cheney said in response to a question on CBS’ “Face The Nation” about Putin’s assessment of Obama.
“We have created an image around the world, not just for the Russians, of – of weakness and indecisive – the Syrian situation’s a classic. We got all ready to do something, a lot of the allies signed on. At the last minute, Obama backed off.”
Cheney was referring to the state of affairs last fall, when Obama threatened punitive military strikes in Syria in response to a deadly August chemical attack blamed on the Assad regime. Struggling to win congressional support, Obama backed away from the threat after Russia mediated a deal to have Damascus hand over its chemical weapons stockpile for destruction.
Cheney also cited Obama’s “reset policy” with Russia, and his decision to shift course in 2009 on a ballistic missile defense (BMD) program strongly opposed by Moscow.
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