Ukraine war updates: After Biden confused Zelensky with Putin, Russia jams radars in Europe and intensifies direct attacks on NATO countries | World news

Analysis by James Matthews, US correspondent

It was Biden’s big moment on screen, but the truth is, he messed it up before it even began.

A few hours before taking the stage, the president had a “Putin moment” when he mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Zelensky as “President Putin.”

It was already the faux pas of the day.

Biden may have presided over a successful NATO conference, but it was a meme-tastic moment that defined his performance for the screen-scrolling generation, exactly the one he needs on his side.

When presenting his report, Joe Biden spoke about the economy, foreign policy and “internal divisions”.

His problem now is that the audience cannot hear a single sentence because they are so excited to hear what he will say next.

He was asked about Kamala Harris and mistakenly called her “Vice President Trump.”

Like the “Putin” mistake, it was a mistake that anyone can make. Had Biden made it himself a few years ago, it would have gone unnoticed.

His problem now is that every sign of ailment, big or small, feeds into an established narrative – namely, the story of a stubborn old president pampered by a government machine that ignores growing concerns about his mental health.

He actually kept his composure during the one-hour press conference.

As a politician, he sounded as confident as can be at the age of 81. He was clear about his skills on the issue and concluded with the certainty that he was “best suited to govern and win.”

The uncertainty is whether it was good enough.

Not so Jim Himes, the leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who called for the president’s resignation just minutes after the press conference ended.

On the night of the big press conference, the big question is: How many will follow?