Washington: US President Joe Biden has made another gaffe addressing Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as Vladimir Putin at a NATO summit Thursday amid calls to him to step aside from presidential race, News agency AFP reported.
The name mix-up comes as concerns are intensifying about the President’s ‘mental acuity’ with several such incident over the past year.
His last debate with Donald Trump two weeks ago proved disastrous with many Americans asking him to step down from the race.
At the NATO summit Biden said: ‘And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.’
After this the 81-year-old president turned away from the lectern but returned correcting himself, exclaiming: "President Putin! He's going to beat President Putin. President Zelensky -- I'm so focused on beating Putin we gotta worry about it. Anyway, Mr President.’
After initially gasping, President Zelensky laughed it off.
Fellow leaders at the summit were largely supportive to Biden with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying that ‘Slips of the tongue happen, and if you keep a close enough eye on everyone, you will find enough.’
Reacting to the gaffe, French President Emmanuel Macron said Biden was ‘ in charge’, while his British counterpart Keir Starmer said President Biden "was on good form."
The gaffe comes amid calls from Democrats pressing Biden to abandon his 2024 candidacy.
Hollywood actor George Clooney earlier urged Biden to exit the race.
However, Biden is seemingly not ready to give up the race in November alongside it is not possible to forcing him out with ‘The Democratic party primary votes under his belt.’ According to the report.