War

Biden accuses Trump of 'destroying NATO,' 'choosing Putin over American allies'

2 min read
Biden accuses Trump of 'destroying NATO,' 'choosing Putin over American allies'
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, during the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in the Jackson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US, on June 18, 2026. (Mustafa Hussain/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former U.S. President Joe Biden criticized his successor, Donald Trump, for his approach to NATO and Russia during a Democratic Party fundraising gala in Maryland on June 27, in one of his rare public speeches since leaving office in 2025.

Speaking ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Biden accused Trump of "destroying NATO" and "choosing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin over American allies."

"It's not just his deliberate distortion and destruction of NATO and his choosing Putin over American allies or the fact that he's diminished our standing in the eyes of the world more than any president in history has," Biden said.

Biden's comments come as the Trump administration's efforts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia have largely stalled, as both warring sides remain far apart on territorial issues.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration's focus shifted to the war with Iran. Since then, Ukraine and its European allies have increasingly taken the lead in discussions on security guarantees and efforts to end the war, while U.S. involvement has become less visible.

The new U.S. leadership has also drastically reduced aid to Ukraine, leaving Europe to shoulder the financial burden of helping Kyiv resist Russian aggression.

Trump's tenure has also seen unprecedented ruptures within NATO as the U.S. president threatened to exit the alliance over allies not joining his war with Iran.

Avatar
Tania Myronyshena

Reporter

Tania Myronyshena is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has written for outlets such as United24 Media, Ukrainer, Wonderzine, as well as for PEN Ukraine, a Ukrainian non-governmental organization. Before joining the Kyiv Independent, she worked as a freelance journalist with a focus on cultural narratives and human stories. Tania holds a B.A. in publishing and editing from Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University.

Read more
News Feed

Julie Davis' departure leaves a key diplomatic post vacant at a critical moment, while peace talks remain at a standstill. It remains unclear who will succeed Davis or when a permanent ambassador might be nominated.

Show More