Biden press conference live: Joe calls Kamala Harris ‘Trump’ hours after calling Zelensky ‘Putin’

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Joe Biden for “his leadership” at the 75th annual Nato summit in Washington despite the US leader introducing him as “president Putin” during a speech.

“I thank President Biden for his leadership and all the efforts to make our security cooperation full of strong actions,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “There are 23 strong agreements, and there will be agreements with other countries.”

US president Joe Biden has hit back at comments made by Donald Trump suggesting the incumbent leader is not fit for office after he confused his vice president Kamala Harris with his Republican counterpart.

In a message on his own social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump recounted Mr Biden’s gaffe before finishing with the line “Good job, Joe!”

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Biden responded: “By the way: Yes, I know the difference. One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon.”

Donald Trump has hosted Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate following a Nato summit in Washington.

The two leaders and longtime political allies discussed possible peace solutions to crises around the world, including the war in Ukraine.

It was the fifth meeting Mr Orban had held since assuming the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on 1 July concerning finding a peaceful conclusion to the war. He visited Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing before heading to Washington.

“It was an honour to visit President Trump at Mar-a-Lago today,” Mr Orban wrote. “We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it!”

Mr Trump has said he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours of coming back to office, though he has not elaborated on how that might happen.

Americans “understand” that the country is stronger if it remains in the Nato alliance, US president Joe Biden has said, in a pointed retaliation to remarks for his counterpart Donald Trump.

In a statement issued after the 75th annual Nato summit in Washington, Mr Biden wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “I believe the American people understand that we are stronger because of the Nato Alliance.

“America cannot retreat from the world – America must lead it. We are the indispensable nation.”

Previously, former president Donald Trump, who hopes to return to office next year, cast doubt on whether the US would continue its support for Nato, questioning whether they would come to the help of countries that do not meet a minimum two per cent of spending on defence.

Below are some of the latest photos coming out of Washington after US president Joe Biden confused his vice president with Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky with Vladimir Putin during closing remarks for the 75th annual Nato summit.

The US president spent an hour answering questions from journalists – the first time he has done so this year – after the summit where he was asked repeatedly if he was fit for office.

Joe Biden was definant about calls to stand aside in the race for the White House dueing his press conference, but as our Senior US Correspondent, Richard Hall, writes, the president’s worries really began when ge began facing questions from the press pack. “The trouble began as soon as the teleprompter was turned off.

“Just two weeks after a disastrous debate plunged his campaign into crisis, and with heavy hitters in his own party refusing to publicly support him, Joe Biden’s performance needed to be flawless.

“But in his first answer, to the first question, at his first open press conference in eight months, he confused his running-mate, Kamala Harris, with his mortal enemy, Donald Trump.”