Aided by teleprompters, Biden presents the Medal of Freedom to NATO chief during his inaugural address at the organization's annual summit

President Joe Biden, assisted by teleprompters, gave the keynote address at the annual NATO summit where, among other announcements, he presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Throughout his speech, the president barely made any mistakes, having a few minor verbal stumbles. This situation is relevant as dozens of congressional Democrats are calling for Biden's official retirement after his dismal performance in the presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia.

Since that time, Biden's public appearances have come under intense scrutiny from his allies, skeptics and detractors.

Critics, questioning the president's relatively strong performance, pointed out that Biden was reading the screen during his speech, so he was able to help himself at repeated points, including when he presented the medal to Stoltenberg.

In a moment of capsizing, Biden got confused while trying to pronounce Ukraine, a country that became a centerpiece of his speech.

"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues and Putin wants nothing less than Ukraine’s total subjugation and to end Ukraine’s democracy, to destroy Urains, Urains, Ukraine’s culture, and to wipe Ukraine off the map," Biden said. "We know Putin won’t stop in Ukraine, but make no mistake, Ukraine can and will stop Putin."

Biden also took the opportunity to underhandedly attack former President Donald Trump, a historic NATO skeptic. During his critique, the president included a quote from former Republican President Ronald Reagan while arguing against a NATO withdrawal and aid to Ukraine.

"The American people know all the progress we’ve made in the past 75 years has happened behind the shield of NATO," Biden said.

"The American people understand what would happen if there was no NATO: another war in Europe, American troops fighting and dying, dictators spreading chaos, economic collapse, catastrophe … As President Reagan put it, and I quote ‘If our fellow democracies are not secure, we cannot be secure.'"

The president's address came just after the United States and several other NATO allies announced that they will ship dozens of air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming months, including at least four powerful Patriot systems.

The Patriot defense system was desperately sought by Kiev, which described the U.S. system as a critical tool in combating Russian advances in the war.

To conclude his speech, Biden called Stoltenberg to the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium stage. This site hosted the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, to present him with the highest American civilian honor: the Medal of Freedom.

"Today, NATO is stronger, smarter and more energized than when you began," Biden sentenced. "And a billion people across Europe and North America, indeed the whole world, will reap the rewards of your labor for years to come in the form of security, opportunity and greater freedom."