The President’s decision to visit Poland reflects that country’s position at the epicenter of a deepening refugee crisis, as some 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have sought refuge in Warsaw since the conflict began. Biden, who may be visiting a refugee camp while in Poland, is expected to pledge substantial US aid in the crisis.
The story continues below the ad
Poland is the largest – and arguably most central – country on the eastern flank of Europe, bordering Ukraine and Belarus on one side and Germany on the other. With Washington and Warsaw recently at odds over whether to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, Biden’s visit is an opportunity to campaign for the alliance to remain united despite such differences.
Despite some calls to do so, Biden does not plan to visit Ukraine, the White House said Monday, given the dangers of a president entering a war zone.
Biden’s trip, only his third trip abroad since taking office, begins in Brussels, where he will attend a NATO summit, a Group of Seven meeting and a meeting of European Union leaders. He will then travel to Poland and meet President Andrzej Duda on Saturday.
More than 3 million people have had to flee Ukraine; more than half are children. Their parents try to declare war on them. (Zoeann Murphy/Washington Post)
Although the White House has not announced that Biden will visit refugees while in Poland, many in Biden’s circle expect him to do so. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that Biden and European leaders will discuss “military coordination, humanitarian and economic coordination,” while in Poland Biden will “talk about everything from refugees, refugee assistance and continued… Help that we can all give together”.
The story continues below the ad
More broadly, the President’s trip is designed to ensure that the United States and its allies continue to work together against Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues.
“Unity has been at the heart of what will make us successful over time for the President — unity with our European counterparts, unity within NATO, unity among the G-7,” Psaki said. “And that doesn’t happen by accident. As a result, the President hopes to achieve continued coordination and a unified response to President Putin’s continued escalating actions.”
In some respects, the journey could prove more symbolic than substantial. It remains unclear what further action the United States and its allies are willing to take to punish Russia and strengthen Ukraine’s defenses. The West has already unleashed a crippling package of sanctions on Moscow and provided billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv.
The story continues below the ad
But diplomats and analysts said Biden’s visit to the heart of Europe has its own value at a time of war and upheaval like the present.
“The most fundamental finding is that the US President emerges at the time of the greatest crisis in European security since the end of World War II,” said Ian Lesser, vice president of the German Marshall Fund. “There is an opportunity for American leadership, there is an expectation for American leadership. This symbolism is actually very important.”
Biden is likely to receive applause in Brussels for his actions to tighten the transatlantic alliance. Visiting Warsaw could be more difficult.
The story continues below the ad
Poland has taken in millions of Ukrainian refugees, and Polish officials said they didn’t have the capacity to handle the influx. The mayor of Warsaw warned in an interview with the Washington Post that the city is on the brink and struggling to provide adequate housing, education and medical care for the refugees who continue to cross the border.
Additionally, the two nations recently fell out publicly after the United States essentially rejected an offer by Poland to supply MiG-29 fighter jets to an American military base for deployment in Ukraine. Biden administration officials have expressed concerns that Poland’s offer could increase tensions with Russia, which has said any country stationing Ukraine’s military aircraft would be seen as part of the ongoing conflict.
“To my knowledge, we have not been consulted beforehand that they plan to give us these planes,” Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary for political affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this month. She described Poland’s unusual public offer as a “surprise attempt by Poland”.
The story continues below the ad
But the most pressing challenge may be the displacement and flight of so many Ukrainians. Amy Gutmann, the US ambassador to Germany, told reporters in Berlin on Monday that the Biden administration wanted to “ensure that US concerns and interest in helping the refugee situation are paramount.”
Gutmann said the United States is ready to relieve Europe by taking in refugees, but many of those fleeing the fighting may want to stay closer to Ukraine in hopes of eventually returning home.
“Most refugees want to go back if they can, if they can,” said the ambassador. “And most don’t want to move further from home than necessary. That being said, I know the US is ready to accept Ukrainian refugees if they want to come to the US.”
The story continues below the ad
Gutmann hailed the cooperation between the United States and Europe in responding to the Kremlin’s aggression, saying Americans feel “particularly responsible” for helping Ukraine even though “we are more geographically isolated from Putin’s attack.”
Psaki reiterated Monday that Biden would not visit Ukraine despite calls from Ukrainian leaders.
“Certainly, any President of the United States who travels to a war zone requires not only security considerations but also a tremendous amount of resources on the ground, which is always a factor in our considerations,” she said.
Stanley-Becker reported from Berlin.