President Barack Obama is in over his head when it comes to dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and it's concerning, says Michael Reagan, conservative commentator and son of former President Ronald Reagan.
"The only real leader in the world we have today is Vladimir Putin," Reagan told John Bachman and Morgan Thompson on "America's Forum" on
Newsmax TV on Friday.
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"That is what is so unfortunate, and this president doesn't know what in the world to do about Vladimir Putin, and it concerns me," he said. "It's getting to be too late to save the Ukraine.
"The president of the United States has basically given Vladimir Putin what he wants," Reagan said.
"You have to go back and remember the conversation [Obama had] with the former president of Russia," Dmitry Medvedev, he said. "What did he say to that president prior to the election? 'Wait 'til after the election and I can do more for Vladimir Putin,' and basically he's doing more for Vladimir Putin.
"Remember, our president is the one that took away missile defense from the Poles, took missile defense away from the Czechs, he's basically left that country naked to defense, and he's allowed Vladimir Putin to do exactly what he's doing," the son of the 40th president said.
"I don't think the president's going to do anything [to stop Putin] because this president believes that America is the problem, that Vladimir Putin is the answer to America's problem," he added.
Reagan contends that Obama would "like to see Vladimir Putin take over that area of the world so the United States of America would completely be disconnected from the Ukraine, from Poland, from the Czech [Republic]."
In addition, Obama, "honestly believes that those areas of the world belong under the Russian Federation, the reconstitution if you will that Vladimir Putin wants, rather than America having an obligation to defend and take care of those areas of the world."
Reagan explained that the problem with Obama holding fundraisers and playing golf while crises around the world are raging on is the perception it gives to the country and world.
"The perception is he's not engaged, and he isn't engaged," he said.
By contrast, Reagan says that Putin and the Russians "know how to play the game of perception."
"The perception was that they were stronger than they really were during the Cold War," he said. "They can bring that perception back."
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