STRASBOURG, France, April 4 (UPI) -- Russia has legitimate interests in Europe but can't revert to "the old ways of doing business," U.S. President Barack Obama says.
Obama, speaking to journalists in Strasbourg, France, in a joint news conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday before a one-day NATO summit, said Russia's interests must be respected, although it must mend its ways in some respects, RIA Novosti reported.
"It is important for NATO allies to engage Russia and to recognize that they have legitimate interests. In some case we have common interests, but we also have some core disagreements," Obama said.
Asserting there was "great potential" to improve U.S.-Russian relations, Obama added, "We have to send a very clear message to Russia that we want to work with them but we can't go back to the old ways of doing business."
Obama also dismissed concerns of NATO encroaching on Russia's borders by courting nations such as Ukraine and Georgia, saying, "I think we should be in a dialogue with them about how we can maintain stability, while respecting the autonomy and independence of all countries in Europe -- west, east, central, wherever they are," RIA Novosti said.
