US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin at the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, July 11, and corrected himself seconds later, Reuters reports.
“And now I would like to turn the floor over to the president of Ukraine, who has both courage and determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said, referring to Zelenskyy.
Biden corrected himself after about two seconds, adding: “President Putin? We will defeat President Putin. President Zelensky. I am very focused on defeating Putin.”
The room applauded in surprise, and Zelensky responded to Biden’s comments with, “I’m better (than Putin).” And before Zelenskyy began his speech, Biden replied, “You’re so much better,” as some in the room laughed.
‘And now I would like to give the floor to the President of Ukraine… ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.’
Yes, an instant Biden top 10 disaster. image.twitter.com/TXrEuGSL7l
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) July 11, 2024
In recent days, Biden has come under scrutiny for his health and apparent loss of mental acuity, and following a poor and botched debate performance late last month against former Republican President Donald Trump, many are questioning his reelection prospects, including his own Democratic Party members and backers. Biden remains determined to continue his reelection campaign, insisting he is the best candidate to defeat Trump in November.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended Biden on Thursday, saying:
“This happens, and if you examine each one carefully, you will find enough mistakes like these.”
At his press conference, new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeatedly avoided answering the question of whether Biden was fit to run for the US presidency. Instead, he praised Biden’s role in organizing and chairing what he called a successful meeting of the NATO alliance.
Later Thursday, Biden held a separate news conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where he faced reporters alone for the first time since November and was asked questions about his remarks. He responded by saying that under his leadership the NATO summit had been a success.
“Have you seen a more successful conference?” Biden told reporters when asked about potential concerns from foreign officials about his suitability for reelection.
At the Washington summit, NATO member states stepped up their support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion, and the United States announced a new security package for Ukraine worth $225 million, including a Patriot battery, additional ammunition for large artillery and missile rocket systems, and other assistance.
Earlier in the day, before the two leaders met, Biden told Zelensky: “We will stand by you, period.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy on Thursday called on NATO allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against targets inside Russia, saying it would be a “game changer” in the war with Russia.
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Read also: NATO summit turns against Russia, promises Ukraine an “irreversible path” to NATO membership
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