US President Joe Biden mistakenly introduced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as his Russian foe Vladimir Putin at a NATO summit Thursday in a blunder just hours before a press conference that could decide the fate of his reelection bid.
The 81-year-old quickly corrected himself, and Zelensky quipped that he was “better” than Putin, but the gaffe intensified concerns about Biden’s mental acuity after a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump two weeks ago.
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.The 81-year-old president sought to show himself in command as he led the NATO summit in Washington two weeks after a disastrous debate performance raised fears among Democrats that he may lose to Donald Trump.
But Biden mistakenly introduced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as his Russian foe Vladimir Putin before quickly correcting himself.
