WASHINGTON: Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday President Barack Obama "stated the obvious" when he assuredRussia's president he would have more flexibility to deal with missile defense after US elections.
In an interview with CBS's Face the Nation, Biden dismissed Republican criticism of Obama's remarks to President Dmitry Medvedev inSeoulon Monday, which were caught on an open microphone.
"Look... the president just stated the obvious," Biden said.
"The idea that in this election year we're going to be able to deal with an agreement with the Russians on further reducing our nuclear arsenals in the environment that we have in the ... Congress right now is difficult," he said.
In their last meeting before Vladimir Putin is inaugurated president in May, Obama told Medvedev that it was important forRussiato give him "space" on all issues, but particularly missile defense.
"This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility," Obama said. In return Medvedev promised to "transmit this information toVladimir."
Biden dismissed criticism of the remarks by Mitt Romney, the frontrunner to be the Republican nominee to run against Obama in November, saying it showed how little the former Massachusetts governor knew about foreign policy.
"He acts like he thinks the Cold War's still on," Biden said.
The vice president then went on say thatRussiawas working closely with theUnited Stateson a number of issues.
"I mean we have disagreements withRussiabut they're united with us onIran. The only way we're getting, one of only two ways we're getting material intoAfghanistanto our troops is throughRussia," he said.
"They've just said toEuropeif there is an oil shutdown in any way in the Gulf they'll consider increasing oil supplies toEurope. This is not 1956," Biden added.
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