Joe Biden has referred to Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump,” in a pair of significant gaffes that are set to worsen the crisis engulfing his presidency.

The US president, who is facing calls to stand down over concerns about his age, confused the Ukrainian president with the Russian leader on stage at the Nato Summit.

He later referred to Ms Harris, his vice president, as “Vice President Trump”.

A notable slip-up occurred at the end of a NATO summit on July 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C., which had been promoted as an opportunity to bolster Biden's faltering re-election campaign.

While sharing a stage with 23 fellow allied world leaders, Biden emphasised the significance of defending Ukraine from Russian aggression before handing over to Zelensky:

“Now, I want to hand over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen: President Putin.”

He returned to the microphone and attempted to explain the error. “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” he said.

Ninety minutes later, during a second press conference, Biden was asked whether Kamala Harris was qualified to take over his job if necessary.

“I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, that I think she was not qualified to be president,” he replied.

Donald Trump immediately seized on the moment, writing on social media: “Great job, Joe!”

Within minutes, the clips were being circulated online by official Republican Party accounts.

Recent polls indicate that Biden's approval ratings had dropped following the 27th debate. He is currently trailing behind Trump in most swing states, and some states that were previously considered secure for the Democrats are now being seen as competitive in the upcoming election. There are now serious concerns that he may not be able to recover from the scrutiny about his age over the last two weeks.

Biden held a press conference at the end of the NATO Summit, the first event of its kind in eight months, and he spoke for an hour, delivering remarks and fielding questions from journalists. During the conference, he defended his record on the economy and foreign policy and addressed concerns about his age.

Insisting he would stay in the race, he said: “I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started. I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job.”

He said he was “ready” to deal with Mr Putin and Xi Jinping “now, and three years from now”, when he will be 84. He said the “gravity of the situation” required his experience in office.

But Biden also acknowledged that he had dealt poorly with recent criticism from his party, describing his errors on the debate stage two weeks ago as “stupid”. “I’m determined on running, but I think it’s important that I allay fears by letting them see me out there,” he said.

Defending his health, he added: “My schedule has been full bore. So, if I slow down and I can’t get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it, but there’s no indication of that yet — none.”

Asked whether he would take a cognitive test, he replied: “I’ve taken three significant and intense neurological exams by a neurosurgeon, by a neurologist... as recently as February [2024], and they say I’m in good shape.”

Biden was asked repeatedly whether he planned to step down if polling data showed that Ms Harris would be more likely to beat Trump in the election. He replied: “No, unless they came back and said, ‘there’s no way you can win’.”

He leaned into the microphone to whisper to the audience and added: “No one is saying that. No poll says that.”

However, Biden's two gaffes in the final hours of the 75th-anniversary NATO summit on 11 July 2024 will overshadow three days of intense diplomacy by its member states as the discussion turns to the future of his campaign.

During his press conference, Keir Starmer dismissed Biden's confusion between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin and suggested that the US president be acknowledged for organising the summit.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged that mistakes happen, while French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Mr Biden was in command and on top of the situation.

Biden, while defending his record, referred to other NATO leaders multiple times. He described this week's NATO summit as the most successful in a long time and mentioned that attendees thanked him for bringing them together.

Source: telegraph.co.uk