Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Reaction to President Joe Biden Mistakenly Introducing Him as "Putin" Goes Viral
During a press conference about NATO's support for Ukraine at the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, President Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "Putin."
Biden quickly corrected himself, saying, "President Zelensky. I'm so focused on beating Putin."
A video of the exchange has garnered over 17 million views on X.
Context and Reaction
The incident comes at a sensitive time for President Biden, who has been facing growing calls to end his 2024 election campaign following a poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27. This debate raised questions about Biden's health and his ability to win the upcoming election.
Audible gasps followed Biden's mistake, and some attendees shouted "Zelensky!" to correct him.
Zelensky first appeared not to react to the mix-up.
When he took the microphone, he said, "I'm better," to which Biden responded, "You're a hell of a lot better."
In another mix-up, Biden was asked if Vice President Kamala Harris was qualified to take over his job if necessary. Biden mistakenly referred to Harris as "Vice President Trump."
Public and Political Reactions
Several figures have weighed in on Biden's gaffes, as reported by Newsweek.
American-British playwright Bonnie Greer said, "He should step down now."
Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein commented, "Joe Biden just called Zelensky 'President Putin' and called Kamala Harris 'Vice President Trump.' Let's be real: Biden is heading for a big loss."
British broadcaster Piers Morgan sarcastically remarked, "I feel suitably reassured!"
Biden stated that he would not drop out of the 2024 presidential election unless polling data showed he had no chance of winning.
