President Joe Biden criticized former President Trump, who said he would not help North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies even if they were attacked by Russia if they did not sufficiently cover defense costs. According to Reuters, President Biden said in a statement on the 11th, “My opponent, Donald Trump, has made it clear that if he comes back to power and Russia attacks our NATO allies, he will abandon them and let Russia ‘do whatever it wants.’ “He pointed out.
President Biden emphasized, “The job as commander-in-chief of the military is the ultimate responsibility (of the president), and those who hold the office of president must take this responsibility seriously.” He criticized former President Trump’s remarks as “horrible and dangerous,” calling them a “green light” for Russia to attack not only Ukraine but also Poland and the Baltic countries.
He added, “Sadly, these are predictable comments from a man who, on his first day back in the White House, pledged to be as dictatorial as the dictators he admired.” Earlier, at a rally held in South Carolina the previous day, former President Trump argued that NATO allies should take responsibility for their own security even if Russia attacks, saying, “I will encourage them (Russia) to do whatever they want.”
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is competing with Trump in the Republican presidential primary, also criticized former President Trump’s remarks in a CBS interview that day, saying that he was helping Russian President Vladimir Putin invade Ukraine and murder his political opponents, saying, “We should not take the side of thugs.”
When asked whether she would adhere to NATO’s collective security principle, which states that if one member state is attacked, all member states respond, former Ambassador Haley replied, “Absolutely yes. NATO has been successful for the past 75 years.”