The Last Press Conference of Barack Obama's Presidency Concluded

Barack Obama held the last press conference of his presidency. Throughout his presidency, Mr. Obama has conducted at least 150 press interviews. He held his final press conference with journalists present just two days before the transfer of power to Donald Trump, the elected president. Mr. Obama had previously promised that the transfer of power to the next administration would be smooth and without issues. According to AFP, Mr. Obama leaves the White House with recent polls showing that 60% of the American public approve of his performance. This is the highest approval rating Mr. Obama has achieved in polls since 2009. Donald Trump will officially begin his work in the White House as the 45th president of the United States on Friday. During the press conference, Mr. Obama addressed various topics, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, expressing concern about the current situation, which he described as dangerous for Israel, harmful for Palestinians, and risky for the region. He emphasized that the only viable solution is a two-state solution. He also commented on the potential lifting of sanctions on Russia by Donald Trump, stating that U.S. interests and global stability require constructive relations with Russia, which has been involved in Ukraine. Additionally, he discussed the commutation of Chelsea Manning's sentence, stating that she has served a difficult prison term and that justice has been served. Mr. Obama began the conference by mentioning the illness of former President George H.W. Bush and wishing him a speedy recovery.