The President of the United States, Joe Biden, got confused in a speech at the end of the NATO Summit, the Western military alliance, this Thursday (11) and called Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, “Putin”, president of Russia .
This happened when Biden introduced Zelensky to the public, stating: “and now I want to pass [a palavra] for the president of Ukraine, who has both courage and determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.”
The American leader realized his mistake and returned to the pulpit to correct himself.
“President Putin? He will defeat President Putin! President Zelensky! I’m so focused on defeating Putin that we have to worry about that,” he said, before greeting Zelensky, who said with a laugh: “I’m better.”
There were 32 allies and foreign leaders on stage with Biden to announce support for the “Ukraine Pact”.
Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, leading to the biggest conflict between nations in Europe since World War II, according to heads of state and experts.
German Chancellor defends Biden
After the gaffe, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended the US president.
“Slip-ups happen, and if you always monitor everyone, you will find a lot of them,” Scholz said when asked about the case by reporters.
“But that doesn’t change anything that the US president stated very clearly in his speech,” he concluded.
Pressure against candidacy
Joe Biden’s confusion comes as pressure against his re-election bid increases even further within the Democratic party. The number of parliamentarians who asked to withdraw exceeds ten.
Politicians and voters question the American president’s physical and mental fitness due to his advanced age and poor performance in the US presidential debate. CNN, in which he appeared to have difficulty speaking and some confusion.
Later this Thursday, Biden is expected to hold a press conference for the first time since the debate, marking another important moment in trying to convince his supporters that he can continue in the race.
*with information from CNN and Reuters
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