Obama talks Trump, Russia, Israel and democracy in his final news conference as US president

Barack Obama has held his final news conference as president of the United States.<br /><br /> The outgoing commander in chief was asked about his meetings with president elect Donald J Trump:“Maybe on certain issues once he comes into office and he looks at the complexities of issues like how,to provide healthcare for everybody, something he says he wants to do. He also wants to make sure that he is encouraging job creation and wage growth on this country, it may lead him to the same conclusions that I at arrived at.” <br /><br /> Here's what will make Obama break his silence during Trump's presidency https://t.co/I38GrhM4F2 pic.twitter.com/XROtYRHMjj— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) January 18, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> He spoke about the frosty US relations with Russia and explained why the US had imposed sanctions on Moscow:“The reasons sanctions have been put in place against Russia has to do with their actions in Ukraine, it is important for the United States to stand-up for the basic principal that big countries don’t go around and invade and bully smaller countries.” <br /><br /> President Obama at his first and last White House News Conference https://t.co/JFQQPX3ep4 pic.twitter.com/0ogS4PTyFW— CSPAN (@cspan) January 18, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> He thanked the White House journalists for their scepticism and their role in maintaining a functioning democracy even if at times he disagreed with the stories or the conclusions.<br />