President Joe Biden’s two-day trip to Poland next week marking one year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will include visits with the Polish president and other eastern European leaders, as well as a speech. 


What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden’s two-day trip to Poland next week marking one year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will include visits with the Polish president and other eastern European leaders as well as a speech

  • Biden will land in Warsaw on Tuesday morning and then meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda to “discuss our bilateral cooperation as well as our collective efforts to support Ukraine and to bolster NATO's deterrence,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday

  • Later Tuesday, Biden will deliver a speech in Warsaw about “how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy,” Kirby said

  • On Wednesday, Biden will meet with the leaders from the “Bucharest Nine” — the nations that largely make up NATO’s eastern flank

Biden will land in Warsaw on Tuesday morning and then meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda to “discuss our bilateral cooperation as well as our collective efforts to support Ukraine and to bolster NATO's deterrence,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday.

Biden will also thank Duda for the nearly $4 billion in military and humanitarian aid Poland has provided to Ukraine and for hosting more than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees and about 10,000 American troops, Kirby said. The two leaders also are expected to discuss Poland’s role In helping the U.S. facilitate deliveries of military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

“Poland, as you know, is a close NATO ally and has been a critical supporter of Ukraine over the past year,” Kirby said.

Later Tuesday, Biden will deliver a speech in Warsaw about “how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy,” Kirby said.

He added that Biden “will make it clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine” in a war that has led to nearly 7,000 civilian deaths and devastation across the country.

“The president well knows that whenever he speaks, he's speaking to people all around the world as well as, of course, the American people,” Kirby said. “But I think you'll hear messages in the president's speech that will certainly resonate with the American people, certainly resonate with our allies and partners, without question resonate with the Polish people who have done so much and continue to do so, and I would suspect that you'll hear him messaging Mr. Putin as well.”

Biden has previously committed to stand with Ukraine and supply military aid “for as long as it takes.” The U.S. has so far pledged nearly $30 billion in security assistance since the war began.

On Wednesday, Biden will meet with the leaders from the “Bucharest Nine” — the nations that largely make up NATO’s eastern flank. 

“He'll do so to reaffirm the United States’ unwavering support for the security of that alliance and and transatlantic unity,” Kirby said.

The leaders also will discuss their efforts over the past year, ways to strengthen NATO and ways each nation can continue to work together as allies on Ukraine, Kirby said.

“As we approach the one-year mark since this invasion, we can proudly say that our support for Ukraine remains unwavering and our alliances, our international coalition in support of Ukraine, remains stronger than ever,” Kirby said.

Biden will fly back to Washington on Wednesday.

In response to questions from reporters, Kirby said Biden has not scheduled any meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or any visit with U.S. troops serving in Poland.

“The president routinely visits with the men and women of the military and their families, as does the first lady,” Kirby said. “You can't look at a single set of remarks he ever gives, including yesterday, where he doesn't call out the troops and how prideful he is in them. This particular trip is a short one, and it's going to be focused on events in Warsaw.”

It will be Biden's second trip to Poland since the war began. He also visited the country last March.

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