President Joe Biden is set to hold a press conference at NATO headquarters in Belgium during his first in-person summit with the military alliance since becoming commander in chief.
In yet another addition to the already long string of public relations debacles throughout his trip, Biden has managed to embarrass the country yet again, this time by being over two hours late to his own NATO news conference and counting as of the writing of this article.
CBS News Reported:
President Biden wouldn’t say much about his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though it was the topic of several questions posed by reporters at his news conference Monday after meetings with NATO leaders in Brussels.
The president’s meeting Wednesday is perhaps the most-anticipated aspect of his week-long foreign trip to the United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland.
“I’ll tell you that when it’s over,” Mr. Biden deflected, replying to a correspondent’s question about his expectations of the Russian president and concessions he hoped to get. He said he wouldn’t negotiate in the press.
In response to a question from CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes, Mr. Biden also sought to put to rest any concern that meeting with Putin so soon in his presidency could unduly raise his prominence. “Every world leader here that’s a member of NATO that spoke today … thanked me for meeting with Putin now,” the president said, putting the number of leaders who had done so at about 10 to 12. “They thought it was thoroughly appropriate that I do so,”
In his brief press conference, which was delayed for 2 hours and 40 minutes, the president said the NATO nations addressed the threats posed by Russia and affirmed the sovereignty of Ukraine.
“I’m not looking for conflict with Russia, but we will respond if Russia continues its harmful activities,” the president said.
As of the moment, White House has yet to explain this extended delay. As always, netizens have already provided their postulations, ranging from an intense bathroom emergency to him being in the middle of his afternoon nap (at least on American time).
Did he fall asleep in the yard again? https://t.co/GEhgBE8r4N
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) June 14, 2021
Sources: 100 Percent Fed Up, CBS News