Washington: US President Barack Obama said on Friday he did not consider violent extremism an existential threat and he is confident it can be defeated.

"This phenomenon of violent extremism - the ideology, the networks, the capacity to recruit young people - this has metastasized and it is widespread. And it has penetrated communities around the world," Obama told a news conference.

But, he added, "I do not consider it an existential threat. ... It is one that we`re ultimately going to defeat. But we can`t just defeat it through weapons."