WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama’s policy toward Russia has been ineffective and wrong, Louisiana Governor and Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal told Sputnik on Thursday.
"I think, this president’s [Barack Obama’s] policies actually encouraged, not discouraged, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and I think that’s been a mistake," Jindal said.
Since 2014, the United States and its allies imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and what they term was an annexation of Crimea.
"I think one of the reasons Putin is in eastern Ukraine and Crimea is that he doesn’t respect this White House, he doesn’t respect Obama’s foreign policy," Jindal asserted.
"I think that peace through strength works," Jindal also said. "We need to have NATO deployments in Eastern Europe with our allies. I think that actually deterrence works."
Relations between Russia and NATO have deteriorated amid the Ukrainian crisis. Since 2014, the alliance has been strengthening its military presence in Eastern European countries that border Russia, accusing Moscow of meddling in Kiev's internal affairs.
Cooperation between the United States and Russia may be constructive but if conducted from the position of strength, Louisiana Governor and Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal told Sputnik on Thursday.
"I think we’d certainly be willing to talk from a position of strength," Jindal said. "If we start from a position of strength, it could be constructive but it hasn’t been to date."
The United States and Russia continue to cooperate in some areas, including in counter-terrorism, in the resolution of the Syrian crisis, in space as well as the arts, among other areas.
"But to date, when you look at Russia’s interventions in Syria, it hasn’t been helpful," Jindal claimed.
