In his final address to the United Nations, President Obama took swipes at Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for embracing authoritarianism and seeking to reverse international cooperation.
Without mentioning Mr. Trump by name, Mr. Obama decried “strongmen” and the rise of “a crude populism, sometimes from the far left but more often from the far right.”
“Today, a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself,” the president said in a clear reference to Mr. Trump’s proposal to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. “The answer cannot be a simple rejection of global integration. Instead, we must work to ensure that the benefits of global integration are broadly shared.”
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon also criticized Mr. Trump, telling the assembly, “I say to political leaders and candidates: Do not engage in the cynical and dangerous political math that says you add votes by dividing people and multiplying fear.”
Mr. Ban added, “Muslims in particular are being targeted by stereotyping and suspicion that have echoes of the dark past.”
With members of the Russian delegation smirking at parts of his address at the U.N. General Assembly, Mr. Obama also bluntly criticized Moscow for its military aggression in Ukraine.
“In a world that left the age of empire behind, we see Russia attempting to recover lost glory through force,” Mr. Obama said.
“History shows that strongmen are left with two paths — permanent crackdown, which sparks strife at home; or scapegoating enemies abroad, which can lead to war.”
The president, who has been roundly criticized for pursuing international agreements without input from Congress, said global peace and prosperity are possible only “if powerful nations like my own accept constraints.”
“Sometimes, I’m criticized in my own country for professing a belief in international norms and multilateral institutions,” Mr. Obama said. “But I am convinced that in the long run, giving up some freedom of action, not giving up our ability to protect ourselves or pursue our core interests, but binding ourselves to international rules, over the long term enhances our security.
Turning again to Mr. Putin, the president added, “If Russia continues to interfere in the affairs of its neighbors, it may be popular at home, it may fuel nationalist fervor for a time, but over time it’s also going to diminish its stature and make its borders less secure.”
Mr. Obama recited his perceived foreign-policy accomplishments over the past eight years, including negotiating a global agreement on climate change and restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba. But the president mostly dwelled on persistent divisions around the world: in the Middle East, in Europe, and on what he called “the excesses of capitalism.”
“Our societies are filled with uncertainty and unease and strife,” Mr. Obama said. “Despite enormous progress, as people lose trust in institutions, governing becomes more difficult and tensions between nations become more quick to surface.
“I believe at this moment we all face a choice. We can choose to press forward with a better model of cooperation and integration, or we can retreat into a world more sharply divided.”
He devoted less time to terrorism, the Islamic State terror group and the long-running civil war in Syria. The president said that while there’s a “military component” to defeating the Islamic State, the long-term solution must include diplomacy to resolve the Syrian conflict.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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