Offering pointed foreign policy advice to his successor,
President Barack Obama on Thursday expressed hope that President-elect Donald Trump
will stand up to Russia when it deviates from US “values and international
norms” and not simply “cut some deals” with Vladimir Putin when
convenient.

Obama, in a joint news conference with German Chancellor
Angela Merkel during his final presidential visit to Germany, said that while
he does not expect Trump to “follow exactly our blueprint or our
approach” he is hopeful that Trump will pursue constructive policies that
defend democratic values and the rule of law.

He said Trump shouldn’t “simply take a realpolitik
approach and suggest that if we just cut some deals with Russia, even if it
hurts people or even if it violates international norms or even if it leaves
smaller countries vulnerable or creates long-term problems in regions like
Syria, that we just do whatever’s convenient at the time.”

Obama began his presidency with a goal to “reset”
ties with Russia, but they eventually plunged to the lowest point since the
Cold War over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

Trump has spoken favorably of Putin but has outlined few
specifics as to how he would go about recalibrating ties with the country.

Merkel, for her part, said she was approaching the incoming
Trump administration with “an open mind” and was encouraged that the
presidential process in the US was “working smoothly” so far.

It was the final meeting of Obama and Merkel as peers on the
world stage, and both leaders spoke glowingly of each other’s leadership.
Merkel was matter of fact about the coming transition in power in the US,
saying, “We all know that democracy lives off change.” As for the
limit on US presidents serving two terms, Merkel said simply, “It’s a
tough rule: Eight years and that’s it.”

Obama, speaking broadly about the incoming president, said
he was “cautiously optimistic” because “there is something about
the solemn responsibilities of that office, the extraordinary demands that are
placed on the United States,” that demand seriousness from a president.

“If you’re not serious about the job, then you probably
won’t be there very long because it will expose problems,” Obama said.

Obama said he had cautioned Trump that the skills that got
him elected may be different from those needed to unify the country and to gain
the trust of those who didn’t support him. People will be watching “what
he says” and “how he fills out his administration,” Obama added.