President Biden plans Poland visit to mark Ukraine-Russia war anniversary

WORLD  07 February 2023 - 11:13

US President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Poland this month to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to three people familiar with the planning.

Current planning is for Biden to visit Poland near the end of February, the sources said, NBC News writes.

The sources noted that the trip is not final until the White House announces it and that the plans could change.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council declined to comment.

It was not immediately clear whether additional stops would be added to the trip.

NBC News was first to report last month that Biden was considering a trip to Europe, including possibly Poland, to mark the anniversary of the war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.

Sources at the time said the White House was considering ways Biden might mark the milestone to draw attention to Ukraine’s resilience against Russia’s brutal military campaign and to reaffirm US solidarity with the Ukrainian people as the conflict enters a new phase.

Visiting Europe would give Biden an in-person opportunity to foster greater unity within the US-European alliance. Biden commented on the importance of that unity when he announced on January 25 that the US would send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

"I’ve been saying this a long time — the expectation on the part of Russia is we’re going to break up, we’re not going to stay united. But we are fully, thoroughly, totally united," Biden said.

Since Russia's invasion, the Biden administration has committed more than $29.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, the Defense Department said last week.

Caliber.Az