U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Russian President Vladimir Putin before quickly correcting himself at the NATO summit in Washington.
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said, mistakenly referring to Zelenskiy.
Biden corrected himself after about two seconds, stating: “President Putin, you’re going to beat President Putin, President Zelenskiy. I am so focused on beating Putin.”
The room at the summit gasped when Biden misidentified Zelenskiy as Putin. The remarks were made during an event at the summit where Biden launched an initiative with allies to support Ukraine’s security needs.
In response to Biden’s comment, Zelenskiy said, “I am better (than Putin).”
Biden responded, “You are a hell of a lot better,” eliciting laughter from some attendees before Zelenskiy began his address.
In recent days, Biden has been intensely scrutinized and has faced skepticism, even from members and donors of his own Democratic Party, regarding his chances of re-election following a perceived weak performance in a debate last month against Republican former President Donald Trump.
Despite this, Biden has committed to continuing his campaign for re-election and has refused to withdraw as his party’s presidential nominee, asserting that he is the most capable candidate to defeat Trump in the upcoming November elections.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended Biden on Thursday after the president’s gaffe, saying, “Slips of the tongue happen, and if you always monitor everyone, you will find enough of them.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in his own press conference, consistently evaded questions about whether Biden was fit enough to run for the U.S. presidency. Instead, he commended Biden’s leadership in what he described as a successful NATO meeting.
Later that day, Biden held his first solo press conference at the NATO summit since November, addressing his mistake. He proclaimed the NATO summit a success under his leadership.
“Have you seen a more successful conference?” Biden challenged reporters when asked about concerns among foreign officials regarding his fitness for re-election.
At the summit in Washington, NATO members pledged continued support to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The United States has been Ukraine’s foremost ally in military support throughout the conflict.
Earlier in the day, before a bilateral meeting, Biden assured Zelenskiy, “We will stay with you, period.”