Washington [US], February 14: President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted comments about NATO by his likely 2024 election opponent Donald Trump, calling them "dangerous" and "un-American" and saying they raised the stakes for the U.S. Congress to approve new funding to support Ukraine.
At the White House, the Democrat sharply rebuked Trump's comment over the weekend calling into question U.S. willingness to support members of the Western defense alliance if they were attacked.
Biden said Trump's comment made it more urgent that congress pass his long-stalled funding request to support Ukraine's defense against Russia.
On Saturday, the Republican Trump complained during a political rally in South Carolina about what he called "delinquent" payments by NATO members and recounted what he said was a past conversation with the head of "a big country" about a potential attack by Russia.
In remarks calling for Republican Speaker Mike Johnson to bring a Senate-passed, Israel and Taiwan to a vote in the House of Representatives, Biden said of Trump's comments: "For God's sake, it's dumb, it's shameful, it's dangerous, it's un-American."
Biden said failing to support Ukraine war funding would amount to support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that his attacks may move beyond Ukraine's borders deeper into Europe.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation