US President Joe Biden condemned his predecessor Donald Trump’s “stupid” and “shameful” remarks about NATO, as the European Union contemplates new measures to defend itself.
President Biden denounced the “stupid” and “shameful” statements made by Trump on Saturday, when he suggested that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO members if they did not meet their financial obligations.
Biden accused Trump of caving to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling his remarks “stupid, shameful, and dangerous.” He added, “Can you imagine a former president of the United States saying that? The whole world heard it. And the worst part is, he means it.”
Trump defended his comments, insisting that his actions during his presidency made the Western military alliance “strong.” He has previously praised Putin as a “genius” and more trustworthy than US intelligence.
Trump’s military advisor Kellogg stated, “I think alliances are important, but if you’re going to be part of an alliance, you have to contribute to it, and you have to be part of it.” Kellogg did not disclose whether he had discussed his proposal with Trump, although he said they had often discussed the future of the alliance.
In light of Trump’s statements, European Parliament Vice-President Katarina Barley suggested that the EU may need to consider developing its own nuclear deterrent, independent of the US.
Barley stated, “On the way to a European army, this could also become a topic for discussion.” She pointed out that Europe’s nuclear deterrence currently relies on NATO.
The Kremlin responded on Wednesday that Trump’s complaint about some NATO members not spending 2% of their GDP on defense is nothing new. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “This was one of Trump’s main messages that he used in his relations with the members of the alliance.”
