Joe Biden committed a major gaffe on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, accidentally introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as 'President Putin'. The mistake occurred during a signing ceremony flanked by NATO leaders, just an hour before a crucial press conference that many see as make-or-break for his embattled campaign.
Concluding his opening remarks, Biden said: 'Now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination.' He then erroneously said: 'Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.' European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reacted with surprise, and an awkward smattering of applause followed.
Realising his error, Biden corrected himself: 'President Putin! We’re going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskiy. I’m so focused on beating Putin.' He added, 'You are a hell of a lot better.' The gaffe drew gasps in the press centre, with some journalists shouting 'Zelenskiy' to correct him.
Zelenskiy’s scheduled press conference was cancelled at short notice, sparing him from questions about the incident. The blunder has reignited concerns over Biden’s mental acuity, which have threatened to derail his presidential campaign. Several allies and donors have called for him to drop out of the race.
Asked about the gaffe, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended Biden, saying the summit had achieved breakthroughs and that Biden had led effectively. French President Emmanuel Macron remarked, 'Slips of the tongue happen, it’s happened to me.' German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sidestepped the question, expressing hope that Biden would continue to support Ukraine.
