Yahoo Finance George W. Bush Mistakenly Condemns 'Unjustified and Brutal Invasion' of Iraq Instead of Ukraine
George W. Bush Institute George W. Bush
George W. Bush accidentally mixed up the invasion of Iraq with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a recent speech.
The former president, 75, made the gaffe while giving a speech at an event in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, during which he criticized Russia's political system.
"Russian elections are rigged," he said, as seen in video of the speech shared online by Dallas News journalist Michael Williams. "Political opponents are imprisoned or otherwise eliminated from participating in the electoral process."
"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," Bush continued, before correcting himself, stating, "I mean of Ukraine."
Bush then shrugged and said, "Iraq, too," before he added, "Anyway, 75," referring to his current age.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Speaking in Dallas this afternoon, former President George. W Bush made a significant verbal slip-up while discussing the war in Ukraine.
He tried referencing what he described as the “wholly unjustified and brutal invasion” — but said Iraq, instead of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tw0VNJzKmE— Michael Williams (@michaeldamianw) May 19, 2022
The United States led an invasion of Iraq when Bush was president in 2003. The war, which lasted until 2011, claimed the lives of thousands of both American troop members and Iraqi civilians.
A representative for Bush did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Bush's mistake came as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
Details of the fighting change by the day, but thousands of civilians have been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.
The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.
Putin, 69, insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy, 44, vowed not to bend.
"Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness."
