Foreign Policy Flashback: Obama Calls Out Romney for Referring to Russia as America's Greatest Enemy
The third and final presidential debate between President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney is set for Monday, and the topic is foreign policy.
Fox News Insider is taking a look at some of the contentious issues that have come up between the candidates.
In his address to the Democratic National Convention, President Obama called out Romney for his belief that Russia is "our number-one enemy."
"My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy," said Obama.
"But from all that we've seen and heard, they want to take us back to an era of blustering and blundering that cost America so dearly. After all, you don't call Russia our number one enemy - not al Qaeda, Russia - unless you're still stuck in a Cold War mind warp."
The criticism stemmed from statements made by Romney in March in an interview with CNN. Romney called Russia the United States' top "geopolitical foe."
Wolf Blitzer: Well, when you say even more frightening, what's he planning on doing, in your opinion?
Romney: Well, my guess is it has to do either with - with nuclear arms discussions or it has to do with missile defense sites. What he did both on nuclear weaponry already in the - in the new START treaty, as well as his decision to withdraw missile defense sites from - from Poland and then reduce our missile defense sites in Alaska from the original plan, I mean these are very unfortunate developments. And if he's planning on doing more and suggests to Russia that - that he has things he's willing to do with them, he's not willing to tell the American people - this is to Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe. They - they fight every cause for the world's worst actors. The I - the idea that he has some more flexibility in mind for Russia is very, very troubling, indeed.
Blitzer: But you think Russia is a bigger foe right now than, let's say, Iran or China or North Korea? Is that - is that what you're suggesting, Governor?
Romney: Well, I'm saying in terms of a geopolitical opponent, the nation that lines up with the world's worst actors. Of course, the greatest threat that the world faces is a nuclear Iran. A nuclear North Korea is already troubling enough.
But when these - these terrible actors pursue their course in the world and we go to the United Nations looking for ways to stop them, when - when Assad, for instance, is murdering his own people, we go - we go to the United Nations, and who is it that always stands up for the world's worst actors?
It is always Russia, typically with China alongside.
And - and so in terms of a geopolitical foe, a nation that's on the Security Council, that has the heft of the Security Council and is, of course, a - a massive nuclear power, Russia is the - the geopolitical foe and - and the - and they're - the idea that our president is - is planning on doing something with them that he's not willing to tell the American people before the election is something I find very, very alarming.
The interview came shortly after Obama was caught on an open mic assuring Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have "more flexibility" to negotiate after the November election. He asked Medvedev to give him "space" until that time, particularly on the issue of missile defense.
In the CNN interview, Romney said the statement by Obama was "very troubling and alarming."
