President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Normandy, France, to attend a significant D-Day commemoration at Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. This event also drew 25 world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The gathering was to honour the 80th anniversary of the historic Allied invasion during World War II.
In a moving address, President Biden highlighted the enduring fight for democracy and freedom, drawing parallels between the Allies’ efforts during World War II and the current struggle of Ukraine against Russian hostilities, embodying a continuous conflict against oppression.
However, an awkward moment caught on video and circulated on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) captured widespread attention. The clip shows President Biden, amidst French President Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte Macron, and Jill Biden, appearing momentarily disoriented after greeting Macron and attempting to sit down.
The video, shared by X user Robby Starbuck, sparked a mix of concern and ridicule online, with various comments speculating on the incident. Some users suggested Biden was confused, while others noted that he seemed to misunderstand a cue to sit, corrected by Jill Biden’s intervention.
In an interview with David Muir of ABC News while in France, President Biden made remarks about his long-standing familiarity with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming to have known him for over four decades. This statement raised eyebrows, considering Putin’s covert role in the KGB during the 1980s and his relatively low public profile until his political ascendance in 1999, as directed by Boris Yeltsin.
Despite Biden’s assertion of knowing Putin for such an extensive period, their direct interactions have been limited, including a notable meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2021 when Biden served as Vice President of the United States and Putin as Russia’s Prime Minister.