President Joe Biden, who just visited Kiev, told U.S. allies on Tuesday that the U.S. is behind Ukraine and committed to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank as Russia’s Invasion Day approaches. I was planning on checking it again.
After a dramatic visit to Kiev, Mr. Biden arrived in Warsaw late Monday to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is calling for more weapons as Ukraine gears up for a spring offensive against Russia.
Biden will deliver a speech rallying support for Ukraine as the war enters its second year on Feb. 24 with no end in sight.
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He plans to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda to discuss collective aid to Ukraine and to thank Warsaw for helping the United States and other countries provide military and humanitarian aid. bottom.
Poland has NATO’s longest border with Ukraine and is a major route for arms inflows and refugee outflows. Duda’s foreign policy adviser said they would also discuss Poland’s security and the expansion of her NATO resources there.
“It’s no secret that we talk about increasing NATO’s presence, even from an infrastructure point of view,” Martin Psidaci told commercial broadcaster TVN 24.
The visit was welcomed by ordinary Poles and the 2.5 million Ukrainians, mostly refugee women and children from the conflict, who now live in Ukraine.
“I hope they (the US) will increase their arms shipments, improve the situation on the front line and win,” said Alina Kiyko, 32, a Ukrainian from central Warsaw.
At the Roman Domovski roundabout in the city center, a giant advertising screen displayed the slogan in English, “Biden, give Ukraine F-16s,” referring to US fighter jets.
“I hope that somehow this conflict will be resolved and that peace will be brought to Ukraine and the surrounding region,” said Marian Switala, 70, from Warsaw.
Before returning to Washington on Wednesday, Biden will meet with the leaders of Bucharest’s nine countries to the east of NATO to reaffirm their support for security.
While Biden was in Kiev on Monday, the State Department announced further aid to Ukraine, including $450 million in artillery, anti-armor systems, air defense radars and $10 million in energy infrastructure.
However, Biden has not approved the request for Ukrainian fighter jets.
President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in Jasionka, Poland on February 20.
Evan Butch/AP
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda’s message to President Biden would be that he wants “more aid to U.S. engagement in Europe, the eastern flank of NATO and, of course, Ukraine.”
“Lithuania and other like-minded countries have several demands regarding air defense, forward defensive presence, air defense systems, and greater investment in the defense industry,” said Asta Skaisgiryte.
Washington will announce additional sanctions later this week on individuals and companies “seeking to evade sanctions and backfill Russia’s war machine,” a White House spokesperson said.
Biden arrives in Poland on the day of an important speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who denounced the West.
A year ago, Biden warned skeptical allies that a massive build-up of Russian forces along the Ukrainian border portended war. He questioned Ukraine’s capabilities.
Instead, Ukrainian forces held Kiev and, with the help of Western weapons, ammunition and equipment, drove Russia back from some of the territory they had seized earlier in the war.
The US has provided more than US$24 billion in security assistance, but US officials say the war could last for months or even years.
