US President Barack Obama speaking at the commencement ceremony at the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

President Barack Obama fought back against critics of his foreign policy yesterday by insisting US reliance on diplomacy over military intervention was working to resolve global crises like Ukraine and Iran, and he pledged to ramp up support for Syria’s opposition.

In the commencement address at the US Military Academy in West Point, Obama laid out his approach to foreign affairs for the rest of his presidency built on a commitment to act in concert with other nations, and shifted the fight against terrorism from Afghanistan to more diffused threats around the world.

Obama, stung by unrelenting criticism that he has been passive and indecisive as a world leader, spent a large section of his address countering Republicans in Congress and foreign policy elites in Washington who argue for a more aggressive approach to crises from Ukraine to Syria.

Just because we have the best hammer doesn’t mean every problem is a nail

The US President cast himself as striking a middle ground between war mongers and isolationists.

“Tough talk often draws headlines, but war rarely conforms to slogans,” he said. America must lead on the world stage but “US military action cannot be the only – or even primary – component of our leadership in every instance. Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail,” he said.

The vision he set out reflected a president determined to avoid a repeat of what he considers a mistaken war in Iraq and to end the conflict in Afghanistan, where the US sent troops following the September 11, 2001 hijacked-plane attacks. But he likely did little to silence critics who feel he is setting aside a global role traditionally filled by robust American policies.

Obama announced a $5 billion proposal to serve as a “partnership fund” to help countries fight terrorism on their soil. The White House said Obama would work with Congress to find the money for the programme in the tight federal budget.

The funds would train and equip other countries to fight “violent extremism and terrorist ideology”.

Obama’s refusal to use military action against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for use of chemical weapons last year, after he had threatened to do, hurt his image among allies such as Saudi Arabia.

Obama, however, says his threats paid off with an international deal to secure and eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles. As for the civil war raging in the country with thousands of civilians dead, Obama offered few specifics.