In a slip-up during a signing ceremony on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington DC, US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin.”
The blunder fuels further concerns about Biden’s mental acuity, especially after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump two weeks ago. It came just before a press conference that could decide the fate of his reelection bid.
“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 at the NATO summit in Washington, drawing gasps from those in the room.
“Going to beat President Putin, President Zelensky. I am so focused on beating Putin,” Biden said while correcting himself.
The error drew gasps from the room but Zelensky, Ukraine’s wartime leader against Russia’s 2022 invasion, laughed it off.
Fellow leaders at the summit have fielded questions about Biden, and their answers have largely been supportive.
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“We all slip up sometimes,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, “It’s happened to me and it could happen again tomorrow. I would ask for your indulgence.”
The gaffe came shortly before a highly anticipated news conference where Biden hopes to ease fellow Democrats’ fears that he no longer has the ability to beat Republican Donald Trump in the November election, or to lead the country for another four-year term.
So far, 13 of the 213 Democrats in the House and one of the Senate’s 51 Democrats have appealed publicly to the president to withdraw from the race.
During his solo news conference on Thursday evening, Biden will have to respond to questions on a wide range of topics — including his fitness for another four years in the White House.
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