Biden will personally join NATO world leaders in Brussels on March 24.
“The President will travel to Brussels, Belgium, later this month, where he will attend an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24 to discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, and to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our NATO allies,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday, confirming a tweet from the US mission to NATO.
Psaki continued: “He will also join a planned European Council summit to discuss our common concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the violence, and address other issues related to the conflict.”
The visit will mark a quickly organized and important meeting with key allies amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as NATO attempts to curb Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued aggression.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance could quickly convene a summit of leaders.
“I convened an extraordinary summit on March 24 at NATO Headquarters. We will discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening of NATO’s deterrence and defense. At this critical time, North America and Europe must continue to stand together,” Stoltenberg said.
The trip follows a visit to Europe last week by Vice President Kamala Harris.
This is an emergency story and will be updated.