More now on Russia’s response to Joe Biden’s gaffes at last night’s NATO summit.
The US president accidentally introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” before correcting himself.
He later confused the names of his Republican rival Donald Trump with that of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Videos of Biden’s gaffes appeared prominently on news bulletins in Russia, where state television has long portrayed the 81-year-old as a senile old man.
A Kremlin spokesman called Biden’s missteps a “slip of the tongue” (see 13.10 post), while a Russian Foreign Ministry representative joked that the US president had proven himself to be a “pro-Russian candidate controlled by the Kremlin.”
Maria Zakharova posted a sarcastic comment using Biden’s gaffe to mock what Moscow says are false US accusations that it has meddled in its politics.
“It seems to me that the famous ‘Russian interference in the US elections’ can no longer be hidden: there is a pro-Russian candidate (Biden) who is controlled by the ‘hand of the Kremlin,'” Zakharova joked on Telegram.
Later, at an official press conference, he accused the “US deep state” of covering up Biden’s condition for years.
“The question is, is this the same Biden who is signing all these checks (for Ukraine)?” he said.
“The same Biden who doesn’t know what country he’s talking about. And he’s the one who signs checks for billions of dollars?
“Of course, you can give him any piece of paper to sign.”
Some European leaders defended Biden, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
“Slips of the tongue happen, and if you’re always keeping an eye on everyone, you’ll find plenty of them,” Scholz told reporters.
Mr. Biden overcame a childhood stutter and has frequently mangled names and said the wrong things throughout his political career.
The 81-year-old has previously said his health is fine and he will undergo another neurological exam to determine his mental acuity if his doctors recommend it.
“The only thing age does is create a little wisdom if you pay attention,” he said.
