A curious mix-up occurred at a Ukraine-themed event in Washington, DC.
US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin during an event in Washington, DC.
The incident happened on Thursday when Biden was hosting the launch of the Ukraine Compact, an initiative aimed at finalizing bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.
Surrounded by NATO and EU leaders, the US president delivered a brief speech and was about to hand the podium over to Zelensky.
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine who has as much courage as he has determination,” Biden said while inviting Zelensky to speak. But instead of introducing him by name, Biden unexpectedly said to the audience: “Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin!”
Seeming to realize his error, Biden returned to the podium and attempted to correct himself, stating: “President Zelensky! I’m so focused on beating Putin, we [have] to worry about it… anyway… mister president.”
Zelensky interjected with “I’m better,” to which Biden replied, “You are a hell lot better.”
🇺🇸🇺🇦 Watch Zelensky’s reaction as Biden calls him Putin 😭
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During a press conference later that evening, Biden confused his own vice president, Kamala Harris, with his 2024 election rival and Republican frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. “Look I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if she was not qualified to be president,” he told reporters.
Following last month’s challenging televised debate with Trump, several Democratic Party politicians and major donors, as well as prominent US news outlets, have encouraged Biden to suspend his reelection campaign so that the party could choose a different candidate. Biden, however, dismissed growing concerns about his age and mental state, insisting that he is the best choice to defeat Trump in November.