During a recent event at the White House, President Joe Biden snapped at a British reporter who asked an important geopolitical question about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden was hosting a meeting with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the Blue Room to focus on key global conflicts, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
“Mr. President, what do you say to Vladimir Putin’s threat of war?” Biden cut off the reporter, snapping at him, “I say you be quiet until I speak, okay?” The reporter asked a second time, “What do you say to Vladimir Putin’s threat of war, sir, it’s a serious threat.” Biden added, “You gotta be quiet, I’m going to make a statement, okay.”
“Alright, anyway,” Biden said beginning the meeting with Prime Minister Starmer. “Mr. Prime Minister welcome, welcome back to the White House.” Reports indicate that Biden dismissed the threats made by Vladimir Putin during the meeting. “I do not think much about Vladimir Putin,” Biden said during the foreign policy summit.
Prime Minister Starmer flew to the U.S. from London following an escalation of tensions between the U.K. and Russia after it was indicated that the U.S. had permitted Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to bomb Russia. Biden maintained that Ukraine deploying the Western missiles would not lead to NATO involvement in the war between Ukraine and Russia, downplaying the concerns.
“Well, we’ve had a long and productive discussion on a number of problems, including Ukraine, as you’d expect, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, talking strategically about tactical decisions,” Starmer said after the Summit.
According to a summary of the event from the White House, “President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met today with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom at the White House. The leaders had an in-depth discussion on a range of foreign policy issues of mutual interest. They reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine as it continues to defend against Russia’s aggression.”
Addressing further concerns in the geopolitical landscape, the summary added, “They expressed deep concern about Iran and North Korea’s provision of lethal weapons to Russia and the People’s Republic of China’s support to Russia’s defense industrial base. They reiterated their ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, the urgent need for a ceasefire deal that will free the hostages and enable increased relief in Gaza, and the need for Israel to do more to protect civilians and address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
The meeting also touched on tensions with Iran following the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. “They also condemned Iran-backed Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. They discussed U.S.-UK cooperation on clean energy and advanced technologies, on AUKUS, as well as opportunities to deepen our strong U.S.-UK economic ties. President Biden underscored his support for the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and its role in maintaining peace and stability in Northern Ireland,” the White House statement read.
Watch Biden snap at the reporter below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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