Obama says he’ll have 'more flexibility' on missile defense after election

President Obama was caught on a live microphone near the end of a 90-minute meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, saying he will have “more flexibility” to deal with missile defense after the upcoming election, according to ABC News.

Obama asked Medvedev to deliver a message to incoming President Vladimir Putin: “On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him to give me space,” Obama said.

Medvedev responded: “Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space.”

Obama then said he will have “more flexibility” to deal with the issue after the election.

A senior administration official told ABC: "[T]his is not the kind of year in which we’re going to resolve (an) incredibly complicated issue like this."