When President Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by his adversary’s Russian name—”Vladimir”—in Vilnius, Latvia, this week, he found himself briefly lost in his own words. He later realized his error.
U.S. President Biden read off his notes as he spoke about the evolving alliance-Ukraine relationship during the NATO summit’s concluding ceremony, which was held this year in Vilnius, Lithuania.
After stating that Ukraine now had a clear road to joining NATO, Biden went on to discuss additional commitments the organization was making to the nation. The American President attempted to address his adversary by using his first name by saying, “Vladimir and I… we… um… I should not be overly familiar. I mean, Mr. Zelensky and I discussed what assurances we might provide during this time.”
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is, of course, named after him. The closeness between the two names is due to their shared Slavic ancestry. Like many other first names, Vladimir/Volodymyr is claimed to imply “ruler over the world” or “great ruler” in this context.
The mispronunciation of two names with the same root may seem insignificant, but since the invasion started last year, Ukrainians have taken great care to distinguish themselves from their Russian neighbors. The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, for example, has changed spelling and pronunciation despite being referred to as Kiev for as long as anybody can remember.
President Biden has had a clumsy journey to the NATO meeting. King Charles III of Britain had to guide him when he looked to become lost. He also strolled in front of the king while inspecting troops, a faux pas that the media roundly criticized President Trump for, but seemed happy to overlook for President Biden.
This week, Biden skipped the NATO leaders’ dinner in Vilnius, a significant summit gathering where alliance leaders may interact informally. The President required time to prepare for a speech, according to Biden’s advisers, who seemed to need an early night.
