The president of the United States, Joe Biden, offered the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to swap their nuclear buttons in a sign of friendship and trust. The offer was made during a phone call between the two leaders, which was supposed to discuss the recent cyberattacks and the extension of the New START treaty.
Biden said that he wanted to convince Putin of his peaceful and honest intentions and that he wanted to reduce the tensions and misunderstandings between the two countries. He also said that he wanted to test if his nuclear button was working at all, since he had never used it before.
Putin was surprised and amused by the offer and asked Biden if he was joking or senile. He said that he did not need to swap his nuclear button with anyone, since he was confident in his own and his country’s capabilities. He also said that he did not trust Biden or his administration and that he would not give up his nuclear deterrent.
The offer was rejected by Putin and ridiculed by the international community. Many experts and politicians said that the offer was naive, irresponsible and dangerous. They said that it could have led to a nuclear catastrophe or a diplomatic crisis. They also said that it showed Biden’s weakness and incompetence in dealing with global issues.