Biden puts forward Zelenskyy as Putin
US-President Biden, who intends to be re-elected to the White House in November, is under close scrutiny following the tense TV debate. At the end of the NATO Summit in Washington, President Joe Biden made an embarrassing gaffe:
During the ceremony at the end of the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., US President Joe Biden made an embarrassing mistake: He mistakenly introduced his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin. He immediately corrected himself.
Biden was on stage with 32 leaders and foreign heads of state to reaffirm their support for Ukraine. After speaking about the Russian aggression war, he wanted to invite Zelensky to the podium: "I would like to turn the word over to the Ukrainian president, who has as much courage and determination as I do - please welcome President Putin", said the US President. He quickly corrected himself: "President Zelensky! He will beat President Putin. I was so focused on beating President Putin" said Biden, while shaking Zelensky's hand. Zelensky took the mistake in stride and countered: "I'm better."
The 81-year-old Biden is under particular scrutiny at his appearance at the NATO Summit. After the disastrous TV debate against his challenger Donald Trump, doubts grew about whether the US President is mentally fit for a second term. Some donors have withdrawn their support and the resistance in his own party is waning. This new gaffe will likely strengthen those who want to dissuade him from running for re-election.
However, Biden still faces a test: In the wake of the summit, he is scheduled to hold a solo press conference today to answer questions from journalists - without a script or teleprompter. It is the first such appearance by the President since November.
Despite the embarrassing gaffe at the NATO Summit, Democrat Joe Biden expressed confidence in his ability to outperform Russian President Vladimir Putin in the United States Presidency Election 2024. The incident has further fueled speculations about Biden's mental fitness for another term, as some Democrats and donors have expressed doubts following his performance in the TV debate against Donald Trump. Regardless, the United States of America's president is expected to face tough questions during a solo press conference today.
