youUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has broken his silence after US President Joe Biden mistakenly called him “President Putin” at the NATO summit on Thursday.
Zelensky met with reporters on Saturday, July 13, shortly after landing at Shannon Airport in County Clare, Ireland, where he was greeted by Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris.
Asked by a reporter about Biden’s mistake, Zelensky replied: “It is a mistake. I think the United States gave a lot of support to the Ukrainians. We can forget some mistakes, I think so.”
The United States is currently providing military support to Ukraine in its war against Russia and President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Since the invasion, the United States has committed more than $52 billion in security assistance to support “Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against Russian aggression, secure its borders, and enhance interoperability with NATO,” according to the Department of Defense.
Biden’s gaffe with Zelensky’s name came at a crucial moment in his campaign ahead of the November presidential election, when some Democrats are calling for him to step down. There is growing concern about Biden’s ability to take on Donald Trump, which has been exacerbated by the president’s much-criticized performance in the first debate and subsequent stumbles.
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“I now want to turn the floor over to the president of Ukraine, who has both courage and determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said at the NATO summit, which was marking the alliance’s 75th anniversary. Gasps were heard throughout the room, with some people shouting “Zelensky!” to correct Biden.
Biden corrected his mistake and returned to the microphone, clarifying: “We are going to defeat President Putin. President Zelensky. I was very focused on defeating Putin.”
The meeting between Zelensky and Harris comes four days after a major children’s hospital in kyiv was attacked by a Russian missile.
