Biden confused the date of the first summit with Putin

U.S. President Joe Biden mixed up the date of his first summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a speech to new Democratic members of Congress on Jan. 5, saying he has known him for more than 47 years.

"I've known Vladimir Putin for 47 years. I remember meeting him between the time we were elected and before we were sworn in. Or right after. No, I'm sorry, before that. No, that's right, right after taking office, early February," he said during a speech broadcast on C-SPAN.

Earlier, on June 7, 2024, in an interview with ABC, Biden said that he allegedly knew Putin for more than 40 years. In response to this statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that Biden clarify whether he misspoke and asked how he could have known Putin for so long.

The first face-to-face meeting between Biden and Putin since the American took office as U.S. president took place on June 16, 2021, at a summit in Geneva. The American leader noted that it was held in a good and positive atmosphere, and also expressed hope that the United States has created a foundation for further relations with Russia.

Following the talks, the presidents adopted a joint statement on strategic stability. In addition, the sides agreed to return the ambassadors of the two countries and to continue consultations on the fate of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-3).