President Joe Biden is back in the news with a minor, minor verbal gaffe – this one on the international stage.
While speaking at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit on Wednesday, Biden used the wrong name when referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Vladimir and I…I shouldn’t be so familiar,” Biden said from Vilnius, Lithuania. Biden immediately corrected himself. “Mr. Zelensky and I.” Vladimir is of course the first name of Russian President Putin, making the screw-up more notable.
An easy mistake to make for Joe Biden
But, to Biden’s credit, let’s acknowledge that “Volodymyr” and “Vladimir” are just variations on the same name.
It was an easy mistake to make, one altered syllable. And I think mixing up the names of two leaders who are on opposite sides of the same conflict is pretty understandable. Biden recognized the mistake immediately and corrected himself. This is a non-story – which didn’t stop the conservative press from amplifying the moment.
“Biden has been prone to gaffes during his presidency, previously mistaking Ukrainians for Iranians and also asking if a lawmaker who had died was present during a White House conference,” Newsweek reported, before echoing some Twitter reactions. “One Twitter used called it “simply unbelievable” and posted the video along with clown and alarm emojis.”
Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Mixing up with Volodymyr for Vladimir is not indicative of cognitive decline. It’s an easy mistake to make.
Biden’s “Vladimir” moment, and the reaction, was consistent with the recent trend of overemphasizing slightly awkward moments.
Like when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Biden in Washington last month, and Biden switched around his hand placement while the Indian national anthem played. It was insignificant – yet latched onto as a moment suggestive of Biden’s general confusion. Similarly, when Biden visited England a few days ago, much was made of Biden touching the monarch. Small potatoes, not worth the headline.
Biden’s trip to NATO
Biden’s trip to Europe seems to be going well, with a few “undeniable wins,” according to POLITICO. First, “Turkey ended its blockade of Sweden joining the alliance,” and second, “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, initially apoplectic about NATO’s reluctance to invite Ukrainian to join the bloc, ultimately hailed the summit as a “significant security victory.””
Yet, the final outcome of Biden’s NATO summit is not yet clear. “How history judges the Vilnius summit depends on some circumstances outside Biden’s control,” POLITCO reported. First, “the final approvals of Sweden’s entrance into NATO,” and second, “whether Congress approves a sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.”
Lurking beneath the successes of the summit are the frustrations of Zelensky who has not yet been invited into the treaty organization. On Tuesday, Zelensky tweeted that “it seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance,” calling it “unprecedented and absurd” to leave Ukraine out of the alliance.
“Biden, however, is among NATO leaders who are quite ambivalent about admitting Ukraine to the alliance in the midst of this war, fearing it would further provoke Putin and Russia,” Newsweek reported. On that, Biden and I can agree. Admitting Ukraine to NATO would be needlessly inflammatory, risking direct confrontation between the West and Russia. Really, the entire conflict between Russia and Ukraine could be ascribed to NATO encroachment in Eastern Europe, and especially, NATO courtship of Ukraine.
Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor and opinion writer at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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