Joe Biden Appears To Mistake Ukrainians For ‘The Iranian People’ In Union Speech

Emily Brown

Published 
| Last updated 

Joe Biden Appears To Mistake Ukrainians For ‘The Iranian People’ In Union Speech

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Joe Biden found himself in the spotlight online after he appeared to refer to Ukrainians as 'the Iranian people' during his State of the Union speech.

Millions of people tuned in to watch Biden give his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, March 1, with the focus placed heavily on the situation in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin launched an invasion last week.

Speaking almost a week after Russian troops crossed the border, Biden praised the bravery of Ukrainians who have fought to defend their homes, acknowledged the efforts of countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia and said Putin must 'pay a price', but it was one comment in particular that internet users have honed in on.

Loading…

During the speech, the US president appeared to say that while 'Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks', he would 'never gain the hearts and souls of the Iranian people'.

Behind him, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to acknowledge the apparent mistake as she could be seen mouthing something which looked like 'Ukrainians', perhaps in a small effort to co