The 3 key points

June 8, 2015 1:24 PM

He told a news conference that Washington did not yet have a "complete strategy" for helping Baghdad regain control of territory captured by Islamic State fighters since that required Iraq to make commitments on how to carry out recruitment and training.

Obama's Speech

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday more progress was needed to stem the flow of foreign fighters into Syria and Iraq, and that all countries in the international coalition were ready to do more to train Iraqi security forces if that would help.

"We want to get more Iraqi security forces trained, fresh, well-equipped and focused and (Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-) Abadi wants the same thing so we're reviewing a range of plans for how we might do that," Obama said after meeting Abadi on the sidelines of a Group of Seven industrial nations' summit.

He told a news conference that Washington did not yet have a "complete strategy" for helping Baghdad regain control of territory captured by Islamic State fighters since that required Iraq to make commitments on how to carry out recruitment and training.

Obama also said that Russian forces continue to operate in eastern Ukraine despite Moscow's denials and the world's major industrial democracies stood ready to impose significantly tougher sanctions if necessary.

Obama told a news conference after a Group of Seven industrial nations' summit in Germany that existing sanctions would remain in place until Moscow and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine fully respected a ceasefire agreement negotiated in Minsk in February.

"As we've seen again in recent days, Russian forces continue to operate in eastern Ukraine, violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

"Russia is in deep recession. So Russia's actions in Ukraine are hurting Russia and hurting the Russian people," Obama said. "And the G7 is making it clear that if necessary we stand ready to impose additional significant sanctions against Russia."

He said that Greeks need to make some "tough political choices" and embrace difficult economic reforms to win a debt deal with their country's international creditors.

Obama denied a report by an unidentified French official that he had voiced concern about the strength of the dollar in a discussion of the world economy at a summit of the Group of Seven industrialised democracies in Germany.

"I did not say that and I make it a practice of not commenting on the daily fluctuations of the dollar or any other currency," he told a news conference.

On Greece, Obama said: "The Greeks are going to have to follow through and make some tough political choices that will be good for them long-term." At the same time, international lenders should "recognise the extraordinary challenges" that Greece faces and show flexibility to get a deal.