Biden (right) and Trump (Associated Press)

US President Joe Biden, on Tuesday, condemned statements - which he described as "stupid" and "shameful" - made by his predecessor, Donald Trump, last Saturday, when he said that he would encourage Russia to attack member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if they did not fulfill their financial obligations.

Biden (81 years old) accused his predecessor of bowing to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said in a televised statement from the White House - as part of urging Republican lawmakers to approve a vital aid package for Ukraine - that Trump's statements were "stupid, shameful, and dangerous."

He added, "Can you imagine a former president of the United States saying that? The whole world heard that. What's worse is that he means what he says."

Countries allied with Washington denounced Trump's statements, expressing their concern, while Biden accused his predecessor, the real estate tycoon, of acting like a gang leader regarding NATO.

The US President said that Trump "when he looks to NATO, he does not see the alliance that protects the United States and the world, but rather he sees a blackmail system."

Biden warned that Russian President Putin would benefit most if Trump's allies in the House of Representatives did not follow the example of the Senate, which approved a bill authorizing the provision of about $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

Trump made his statements on Saturday during an election rally in South Carolina, referring to a conversation he said he had with the president of a NATO country, without mentioning his name.

Trump said, “The president of a major country stood up and said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we get attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’ I said, ‘You didn’t pay, so you’re in arrears. No, I won’t protect you. Rather, I will encourage them to do what they want!’” Trump said. You pay! You have to pay your bills!"

Later, Trump defended his statements and stressed that what he did during his term made the Western military bloc “strong.”

Membership levels

Meanwhile, a new controversy arose over statements made by a prominent advisor to Trump in the field of national security, as he told Reuters - yesterday, Tuesday - that he would seek to make changes in NATO if the former president returned to power, indicating that these changes might lead to the loss of some countries. Members are protected from any external attack.

In an interview, Keith Kellogg, a retired general and chief of staff on the former president's National Security Council, said that if a member of the 31-nation alliance failed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense, as agreed upon, he would support divesting That country is protected by Article Five of the NATO Charter.

This article stipulates that any attack on one member of the alliance - which is based in Europe - is considered an attack on all, and therefore members of the alliance must respond appropriately. Without this protection, a country cannot guarantee assistance from other members of the alliance.

Kellogg said that if Trump wins, he will likely propose holding a NATO meeting in June 2025 to discuss the future. He said the alliance could then become a "multi-level alliance," with some members enjoying greater protection based on their commitment to the alliance's founding articles.

According to Reuters, the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment, but it had previously identified Kellogg as a political advisor who could play a role in the Trump administration if he wins.

Source: Anadolu Agency