US president Joe Biden denounced former president Donald Trump on Tuesday for encouraging Russia to attack certain Nato allies, calling the comments “dumb”, “shameful”, “dangerous” and “un-American”.
Mr Biden’s comments came as he implored House Republicans to defy their putative nominee and pass new security aid for Ukraine and Israel.
In a televised statement, Mr Biden said a $95 billion (€89 billion) spending package the Senate passed earlier in the day on a bipartisan vote was imperative to help defeat the “vicious onslaught” of President Vladimir Putin’s Russia against Ukraine.
Mr Biden linked the legislative debate to Mr Trump’s campaign speech siding with Moscow over European allies Mr Trump deemed “delinquent”.
“Can you imagine?” Mr Biden told reporters at the White House. “A former president of the United States saying that? The whole world heard it. And the worst thing is, he means it. No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will. For God’s sake, it’s dumb, it’s shameful, it’s dangerous, it’s un-American.”
Mr Trump, who has long expressed admiration for Mr Putin and derision for Nato and Ukraine, boasted at a campaign rally over the weekend that he had warned Nato allies that did not spend enough on their own militaries that he would not come to their defence if Russia attacked them.
That would effectively render toothless Article 5 of the alliance’s charter, which requires members to aid one another in the event of an outside attack. Moreover, Mr Trump added that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” against them.
The former president’s comments favouring a long-time foe over long-time friends have inflamed the debate on Capitol Hill over renewing military aid for Ukraine, which has been stalled for months even as troops there run short of ammunition and struggle to recapture territory seized by Russian forces.
The Senate finally passed the $95 billion security aid package early Tuesday on a 70-29 vote, with 22 Republicans joining nearly all Democrats in supporting the financing.
The package includes $60.1 billion for Ukraine; $14.1 billion for Israel; $9.2 billion for humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, Ukraine and other conflict zones; and $4.8 billion for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies concerned about an aggressive China.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.