Obama addressed the fifth instalment of the Copenhagen summit as lawmakers in the U.S. And our support for Ukraine must remain strong, steadfast and sustained until this conflict reaches a resolution." "The costs will continue to mount, the course of events.are hard to predict. "But make no mistake, this war is far from over," Obama cautioned. Russian President Vladimir Putin, he added, "is failing to achieve his aims inside of Ukraine and beyond." Obama said the response of the West-in particular the sanctions offensive against Moscow, the imminent expansion of NATO, and the welcome of millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine-are all "signs of hope in the midst of despair."
PHILIP DAVALI/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images During his speech, Obama called on democracies around the world to do more to push back the tide of authoritarianism. "And their actions have rallied much of the world behind the values of self determination and human dignity."įormer President Barack Obama speaks during the Copenhagen Democracy Summit at The Royal Danish Playhouse in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 10. "They've united to defend not just their sovereignty, but their democratic identity," he said. The war in Ukraine, Obama said, "weighs heavily on our hearts and minds." The former president-who has previously been criticized for a lackluster response to Russia's annexation of Crimea and fomentation of revolt in the eastern Donbas region in 2014-lauded the "heroic resistance" on display in the war torn country. "We will have to nurture it, we will have to demonstrate its value again and again in improving the lives of ordinary people," Obama said at the event, which has been dominated by discussions of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the future global role of China.
Speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in the Danish capital on Friday, Obama told attendees they will "have to fight" for democracy in an age of political upheaval and looming global crises. President Barack Obama called on democracies around the world to do more to push back the tide of authoritarianism, stressing the need to address "toxic" political discourse that is undermining democratic societies and institutions.