Politics
WASHINGTON — President Biden on Monday praised “Czechoslovakia” for supporting Ukraine against Russia’s two-year-old invasion — referring to a country that hasn’t existed since the end of 1992.
Biden, 81, was hosting Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in the Oval Office and quickly corrected himself to say the “Czech Republic” — another faux pas, since Prague has requested the nation be called “Czechia” since its modern founding on New Year’s Day 1993 and made it the official name in 2016.
“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your outspokenness and the support of the people of Czechoslovakia — the Czech Republic, with defending the people of Ukraine,” Biden said.
The separation of Czechia and Slovakia ended 75 years of a Czechoslovak state, a period interrupted by six years of Nazi occupation during the Second World War and marked by more than four decades of Communist rule as a Soviet satellite.
At the time of the dissolution, France’s president was François Mitterrand and Germany’s chancellor was Helmut Kohl — with whom Biden claimed in February to have recently conversed, making a trio of gaffes that amplified questions about his mental acuity.
Mitterrand left office in 1995 and died a year later. Kohl remained chancellor until 1998 and died in 2017 — making it impossible that Biden spoke with them about the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, as he recollected.
Biden’s other recent stumbles include telling an audience in the Rose Garden last week that voters should pick him for a second four-year term because he’s living in the “20th century.”
Such errors come as polls regularly show broad bipartisan concern among voters about the octogenarian’s mental fitness for a second four-year term.
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.
A poll released last month by the New York Times found that 73% of registered voters believe Biden is too old to be president — while just 42% said so of former President Donald Trump, 77, who is seeking a rematch against Biden in November.
Biden already is the oldest-ever US president and would be 86 if he completes a full second term in 2029.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
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