“We’re making that decision now,” Biden said when asked if he would send a senior official to Ukraine. When asked who he would send, Biden turned back to a reporter and said, “Are you ready to go?”
Since Russian forces withdrew from the Kyiv region, some Western leaders have made their way to the Ukrainian capital to show their support.
According to a source familiar with the talks, US officials have been holding preliminary talks on sending a senior government official to Ukraine.
While Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are unlikely to be visiting Kyiv anytime soon, officials have discussed sending Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin or Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Still, sources said a decision is far from final and the visit may ultimately not go through.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid a surprise visit to Kyiv last weekend. US officials said afterwards that Biden is not currently planning a trip of his own.
“We are not currently planning a trip by the President of the United States to Ukraine,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday. She said more importantly, a presidential visit would be a steady supply of arms and support.
“What matters most to the Ukrainian leadership is that we accelerate weapons and give them the support and security systems they need, and that’s what we’re focused on,” she said.
In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, Biden briefed his counterpart on a new $800 million security aid package, including 11 Mi-17 helicopters, 300 Switchblade drones, 18 howitzers and protective gear to protect against chemical attacks .
During a last-minute visit to Poland last month, Biden told aid workers he would have liked to travel to Ukraine to see the situation up close.
“They understandably won’t let me cross the border and see what’s going on in Ukraine,” Biden said. Before the trip, the White House said it was not considering a visit to Ukraine.
On Thursday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden “would love the opportunity to go to Ukraine to show solidarity with Ukrainians” and that the possibility was discussed ahead of Biden’s trip to Warsaw last month.
Discussions included what type of footprint would be needed to ensure the president’s safety, Sullivan said. But it was “not serious planning,” he added, declining to comment further on reports that a senior US official might visit Kyiv in the near future.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Natasha Bertrand and Betsy Klein contributed to this report