Biden thus began his third trip to Europe in less than a year, a tour that will also take him to Poland on Friday, the country hardest hit by the refugee crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine. Upon arrival, the President exchanged brief greetings with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and the three US ambassadors based in Brussels before heading to his hotel.
This Thursday, Biden will attend the extraordinary summit of NATO leaders and also subsequent European Union (EU) and G7 summits aimed at consolidating the positions of the United States and its allies in the face of the invasion launched by the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In coordination with his European allies, Biden will announce sanctions against Russian oligarchs and politicians this Thursday and agree with the G7 on an initiative to coordinate the implementation of all restrictions imposed by Moscow and prevent any attempt to circumvent them, the G7 said white house. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new sanctions will affect more than 300 members of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.
Humanitarian aid and reducing energy dependency
The president also plans to pledge more humanitarian aid to Ukraine and will make an announcement Friday with his European allies on how to get Europe to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Presidential National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
“The United States will be looking at ways to increase shipments of liquefied natural gas to Europe, not just a few years from now, but a few months from now,” Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday.
Biden is set to travel to Poland on Friday with an unclear agenda, prompting speculation, unconfirmed by the White House, that he may be approaching the Ukrainian border and meeting with refugees. Sullivan announced Tuesday that the president will meet “US troops helping to defend NATO territory” as well as “experts involved in humanitarian assistance.”
On Saturday, before flying back to Washington, Biden will meet with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Warsaw and then deliver a speech on “the united efforts of the free world in defense of the people of Ukraine” and “a world that is anchored , support financially”. democratic principles,” according to the White House.
jov (ef, tagesschau24)