Biden calls Zelensky 'President Putin' in biggest gaffe yet with his political life hanging by a thread

President Joe Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as 'President Putin' in a brutal gaffe at the NATO summit with his political future hanging by a thread.

The ailing 81-year-old facing mounting calls to drop out of the presidential race said: 'Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.'

The embarrassing flub in front of world leaders sparked gasps and those in the room had to shout the correct name.

'No, we're going to beat Putin,' Biden said, and blamed the blunder on being 'so focused' on defeating the Russian tyrant who invaded Ukraine two-and-a-half years ago.

One of his worst gaffes yet came in front of global allies and shortly before his pivotal 'big boy' press conference that could be the final nail in the coffin for his hopes of remaining as the Democratic candidate.

The latest bungled comments will add fuel to the fire for critics who say he isn't capable of being in office for another four years, yet alone winning in November.

President Joe Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as 'President Putin ' in a brutal gaffe at the NATO summit with his political future hanging by a thread 

It also came as a sitting Democrat indicated that he should resign from office in a stunning statement. 

Biden had announced a new $225 million aid package for Ukraine, including a Patriot missile system to bolster its air defenses against the Russian airstrikes when he made his gaffe.

Behind the scenes at NATO summit, world leaders have been concerned about Biden's cognitive decline.

One senior diplomat reportedly said that politicians from around the globe fear he could fall and are 'worried if he knows which direction he is going'.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also said that NATO leaders have privately told him they are 'deeply concerned' about the president's physical and mental health.

The 81-year-old facing mounting calls to drop out of the presidential race said: 'Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin'

The latest gaffe from Biden could not have come at a worse time as the White House desperately tries to prove he is fit to serve. 

'And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,' Biden said.

He turned away from the podium and then heard the shouts from those calling 'Zelensky' at him.

'President Putin? We're gonna beat President Putin. President Zelensky! I'm so focused on beating Putin. We got to worry about it -- anyway, Mr. President,' he said.

'I'm better,' Zelensky said.  'You are a helluva lot better,' Biden replied as he desperately tried to recover.

His gaffe came in front of global allies and shortly before his pivotal 'big boy' press conference that could be the final nail in the coffin for his hopes of remaining as the Democratic candidate

'No, we're going to beat Putin,' Biden said, and blamed the blunder on being 'so focused' on defeating the Russian tyrant who invaded Ukraine two-and-a-half years ago. 

The latest gaffe from Biden could not have come at a worse time as the White House desperately tries to prove he is fit to serve

Biden's error dropped just before his first solo press conference in nine months and since his catastrophic debate performance against Donald Trump.

Nicknamed a 'big boy' press conference, the pressure is on the president to show he can handle an unscripted moment without a major error.

But the major gaffe does not bode well for the president who has not been able to quell the tide of criticism against him.

In the two weeks since the first president debate, Biden has not been able to reassure Democrats he is capable of defeating Donald Trump in November. 

In fact, fears are growing he will take down Democratic candidates with him.

At the time of his massive hiccup with Zelensky, 15th House Democrats and one Democratic Senator had called on him to step aside.

The embarrassing flub in front of world leaders sparked gasps and those in the room had to shout the correct name

There were also reports that members of Biden's inner circle are also plotting ways to get him to drop out, fearing a devastating defeat to Trump in November.

White House aides have also been accused of carrying out a plot over three-and-a-half years to hide Biden's definicincies from the press and the world.

Staff closest to the ailing 81-year-old deployed a multitude of tactics to hide his deficiencies - limiting reporter access to him, giving the president smaller stairs for Air Force One and physically surrounding him in public to hide his stiff walk, a former Biden aide tells DailyMail.com.

Biden has also been given large-print notecards with the most basic of instructions written on them for almost every event and kept to a tighter daily schedule so he can get more sleep.

There was even staff charged with devising strategies to keep the president from falling down, the source said.

'No, we're going to beat Putin,' Biden said, and blamed the blunder on being 'so focused' on defeating the Russian tyrant who invaded Ukraine two-and-a-half years ago

Now, the insider says, those advisers who coordinated the president's protective cocoon should be held to blame for his spectacular fall from grace and the mounting calls for him to drop his reelection bid.

The ex-senior staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the 'guardrails' placed around Biden meant his meandering and mumbling debate performance was amplified to the more than 50 million viewers.

And because his deficits had been shielded from the public by those inner circle aides many Americans were shocked to suddenly see his dramatic decline exposed live on national TV.

Biden's falls and gaffes since he took office in 2001 had been highlighted largely by conservative-leaning media outlets but all-but-ignored by more liberal news organizations.

That is, until his primetime car-crash two weeks ago on CNN.