Kremlin refuses to comment on Biden’s lapses but condemns verbal attacks on Putin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday declined to comment on US President Joe Biden’s gaffes that have drawn criticism from his party members and ridicule from former President Donald Trump, but he condemned the insults directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We have noticed that everyone has noticed this, so there can be no comment on it, it is a slip of the tongue,” he said laconically when asked about the matter at his daily telephone press conference.

The Russian presidential representative said that these lapses are becoming more noticeable “in the context of the internal political debates” in the United States, which are followed by the whole world.

“But this is not our business, it is an internal U.S. business,” he said, noting that it will be up to American voters to assess such lapses and how they affect the presidential candidates’ chances.

He added, however, that Biden’s usual statements regarding his Russian counterpart, with epithets such as “murderer”, “dictator” and other similar ones, are “absolutely unacceptable.”

“This is behaviour that a head of state cannot allow himself. I am referring to the statements made regarding President Putin,” he added.

According to Peskov, this is something “which does not benefit the American head of state.”

“These are the things we look at and what we find totally unacceptable,” he concluded.

Speaking at a NATO summit in Washington, Biden called Volodymyr Zelensky “Putin” and Vice President Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump,” prompting several Democratic lawmakers to join those calling on the 81-year-old president to withdraw his candidacy for the election.

In total, 17 Democratic congressmen have publicly expressed their desire for another candidate to face former President Trump in November.

For his part, Trump took the opportunity to mock his opponent from his X account.

“Great job Joe,” the Republican wrote alongside a clip showing one of the president’s lapses at the conference, where he confused Vice President Kamala Harris with Trump.

“Crooked Joe has a bad case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” the politician wrote, referring to Biden’s remarks as a “little man press conference.”