President Joe Biden
The White House has announced that US President Joe Biden is set to travel to Poland in the month of February to rally allies one year after Russia’s assault on Ukraine. The US President has aimed to sustain a coalition that has supported Kyiv’s defences, the officials added.
Biden to visit Poland
According to White House officials, President Biden’s visit is scheduled for February 20-22. His visit will come as signs point to waning support for maintaining tens of billions of dollars worth of military and economic assistance for Ukraine in the protracted war.
Meanwhile, Russia is believed to be planning a renewed offensive in conjunction with the anniversary and has stepped up its long-range strikes on Ukraine’s military and civilian infrastructure in recent weeks.
However, it remained unclear whether Biden might attempt a visit to Ukraine as many other Western leaders and members of Congress have done. Speaking to the media, the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre said that the administration will “continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
The US president visited Poland just weeks after the war began on February 24, 2022, when he delivered a forceful case for supporting Ukraine’s defence in front of Warsaw’s iconic Royal Castle. At the time, he said of Putin: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” though the White House has since backed off what initially seemed to be a call for regime change in Moscow.
Moreover, the First lady of the United States, Jill Biden briefly crossed the border on a trip in May and met her counterpart, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, in the latter’s first public event since the war began.
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Biden & White House highlight the challenges
Biden, as well as White House officials, have highlighted the unique security challenges raised by a potential visit by a US president to a country under invasion by nuclear-armed Russia.
In December, Biden hosted President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, where the Ukrainian leader also pressed for additional Western weapons and support during an address to Congress.
