Trump Confuses Japan With Iran and Zelensky With Putin at NATO Summit

US President Donald Trump made two notable verbal missteps during a NATO summit meeting in Ankara with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. First, he referred to Iran as the 'Islamic Republic of Japan' while discussing missile attacks on a US aircraft carrier, then moments later called Zelensky 'Putin'.

The gaffes

According to the South China Morning Post, Trump said, 'We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan,' confusing long-time ally Japan with Iran. He claimed the missiles were fired at the USS Abraham Lincoln over one hour and were intercepted. Shortly after, he referred to Zelensky as 'Putin,' an error immediately noted by journalists present Source: SCMP.

Context

The incidents occurred as the US maintains a significant naval presence in the Persian Gulf, with 19 ships including two aircraft carriers near Iranian waters. Ground News described the moment as a 'double gaffe' by Trump, highlighting the repeated nature of the slips Source: ground-news. The summit also covered Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia, making the Putin mix-up particularly awkward.

Takeaways

• Trump's misstatements overshadowed substantive talks on NATO commitments and Ukraine support.
• The 'Islamic Republic of Japan' comment drew attention due to ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.
• The gaffe with Zelensky's name was seen as a potential embarrassment given the sensitivity of the Ukraine-Russia war.