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Zelensky dismisses Biden's 'Putin' gaffe as 'mistake,' says US gave a lot of support to Ukraine

by Chris York July 13, 2024 7:04 PM 2 min read
U.S President Joe Biden delivers a speech in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on June 6, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed being introduced as "President Putin" by his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden earlier this week, describing it as a "mistake."

Biden made the gaffe during his speech on the final day of the NATO summit on July 11, as questions over his fitness for office continue to swirl.

"And now I want to turn it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentleman, President Putin," Biden said.

Speaking on July 13 during a press conference during a brief visit to Ireland, Zelensky played down the incident.

"It's a mistake. I think the U.S. gave a lot of support for Ukrainians. We can forget some mistakes, I think so," he said in comments reported by Reuters.

After making the gaffe, Biden quickly corrected himself.

"President Putin? I'm so focused on beating Putin," Biden said.

In response at the time, Zelensky quipped "I'm better," with Biden replying "you're a hell of a lot better."

In Ireland on July 13, Prime Minister Simon Harris said he will visit Kyiv "in the coming weeks," as he welcomed Zelensky to his country.

Zelensky is traveling back to Ukraine from the NATO Summit in Washington and flew via Shannon Airport where the two leaders met.

Speaking during a press conference, Harris said hey had had a "very good meeting," and had discussed a potential bilateral agreement on demining, energy, humanitarian assistance and food security.

"I thank Ireland for supporting the Peace Summit in Switzerland and the Taoiseach for his strong personal attention and commitment to the efforts to bring the children home," Zelensky said in a post on social media following the meeting.

Ukraine and its soldiers weigh in on whether Biden should step aside
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names only. As calls mount for U.S. President Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming presidential election among Democratic party allies in Washington, Ukrain…
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