Former US Prez George W. Bush condemns "invasion of Iraq" instead of Ukraine: Netizens call it 'Freudian slip'

Former US President George W. Bush made an embarrassing gaffe when discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. During a speech in Dallas, Texas, he incorrectly condemned the invasion of 'Iraq' rather than Ukraine.

In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq under his administration.

George W. Bush said:

"The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq — I mean of Ukraine,"

However, the stunned silence in the audience was caused by the former president's realization of his error, which he blamed on his age.

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What did George W. Bush say in his speech?

Bush was speaking to an audience at his presidential library in Dallas, Texas, at an event aimed at increasing voters' trust in U.S. elections.

Bush led the United States' invasion and war in Iraq in 2003, claiming that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction and was developing nuclear weapons. It was reported that there wasn't enough evidence of such threats in the country. Members of his administration have claimed that they were acting on incorrect information.

However, in his speech on Thursday, Bush compared Ukraine's free and fair presidential election to Putin's suppression of political opponents.

He also stated that he recently spoke with Zelenskyy via Zoom, calling the Ukrainian leader a "cool little guy — the Churchill of the twenty-first century." where the lack of checks and balances resulted in "one man's decision to start an entirely unjustifiable and savage invasion of Iraq – I mean Ukraine."

The audience laughed along, but the error served as a reminder that the world is still dealing with the aftereffects of the invasion. It shattered Iraq and triggered a sectarian civil war in which hundreds of thousands died.

It continues to damage the US on the international scene nearly two decades later. It is likely a factor in the African and Middle Eastern countries' hesitancy about joining a robust global response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has sparked worldwide outrage and increased economic penalties on Russia.

Putin, 69, claims that Ukraine has historic links to Russia and that he is acting in his country's best interests. Zelenskyy, 44, refused to budge.

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Twitter users react to George W. Bush's gaffe

Some users on social media couldn't believe what they were hearing.

Some called it a "Freudian slip for the ages."

Some have stated that this video will be played incessantly for decades.

The gaffe will almost certainly be added to the long list of Bush gaffes.