Biden rebukes Trump over NATO remarks and failure to blame Putin for Navalny's death

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Donald Trump's recent remarks on NATO "dangerous" and questioned the former president's failure not to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

In a video clip posted on the president's X account, Biden highlighted the importance of NATO's Article 5 agreement, saying that it's not only important to the U.S., but also to the rest of the world.

"The whole world knows if any adversary were to attack us, our NATO allies would have our back, and they know we would have their backs as well," Biden said.

"And that’s why what the former president has said is so dangerous," said Biden, who quoted Trump's recent comment saying that he would encourage Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to NATO countries that don't pay their share of defense.

Biden said Trump's remark was "a statement heard around the world that does nothing but encourage bad behavior." The president then said he was appalled when he heard Trump hasn't blamed Putin for Navalny's death in prison last week.

"Instead, Trump said Navalny’s death made him realize how bad America is. He said, 'We are a nation in decline, a failing nation,'" Biden said. "Why does Trump always blame America? Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. Why can’t Trump just say that? Putin is responsible."

To stand up to Putin, Biden said that the House must "act now" to pass the Senate-approved $95 billion emergency aid package that would provide desperately needed assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

Trump's first public reaction to Navalny's death came on Monday, three days after Russia's prison service announced it. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that the