- The visit comes a day after the surprise visit to Kiev
- Biden reaffirms US commitment to NATO’s eastern flank
- Eastern European allies seek more support, weapons
WARSAW, Feb 21 (Portal) – Fresh from an unannounced visit to Ukraine, President Joe Biden rallied NATO allies in Poland on Tuesday to demonstrate that the United States stands squarely behind Ukraine and is committed to defending the eastern flank of the country to strengthen the alliance.
In a trip clearly timed to overshadow a major speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the anniversary of the invasion, Biden met Polish President Andrzej Duda, one of the most vocal advocates of increased Western support for Ukraine.
The US President was later scheduled to deliver a speech and rally support for Ukraine as the war enters its second year with no end in sight.
He opened his trip Monday with an unannounced trip to Ukraine, billed as the first time a US president has made such a trip to a country at war without US troops on the ground controlling the area.
Poland has NATO’s longest border with Ukraine and has been the main route for arms and refugees. Duda’s foreign policy adviser said the men would discuss Poland’s security and increasing NATO resources there.
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“It’s no secret that we’re going to talk about strengthening NATO’s presence, including in terms of infrastructure,” Marcin Przydacz told private broadcaster TVN 24.
The visit was welcomed by ordinary Poles and the 2.5 million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, who fled the conflict and are now living in the country. Many have called for bolder Western support for Kiev, including the supply of fighter jets, which Biden has so far withheld.
“We hope that they (the US) will increase arms supplies, that the situation on the front lines will improve and that we will win,” said Alina Kiiko, 32, a Ukrainian in central Warsaw.
At the Roman Dmowski roundabout in the city center, a huge advertising screen ran the slogan: “Biden, Give F-16 to Ukraine” in English, referring to US fighter jets.
Protesters displayed a banner with the same slogan outside the hotel where Biden was staying as he headed to meet Duda at Poland’s presidential palace, where he was met by a military honor guard.
Warsaw resident Marian Switala, 70, said he hoped “somehow this conflict will be resolved and there will be peace in and around Ukraine”.
EASTERN FLANGE
Before returning to Washington on Wednesday, Biden will meet with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, countries on NATO’s eastern flank, to reiterate support for their security. All joined the Western military alliance after being dominated by Moscow during the Cold War, and most are now among the strongest supporters of military aid to Ukraine.
While Biden was in Kiev on Monday, the State Department announced additional support for Ukraine, which includes $450 million for artillery ammunition, anti-tank systems and air defense radars, and $10 million for energy infrastructure.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda’s message to Biden will be that he wants “greater US engagement in Europe, on NATO’s eastern flank and of course more aid to Ukraine,” his top foreign policy adviser told Lithuanian radio on Tuesday.
“Lithuania and other like-minded countries have several requests related to air defense, forward defense presence, air defense systems and major investments in the defense industry,” Asta Skaisgiryte said.
Later this week, Washington will announce additional sanctions against individuals and companies “trying to evade sanctions and supplement Russia’s war machine,” a White House spokesman said.
In his long-awaited speech, Putin defended his decision to go to war and vowed to prevail. He also panned Russia’s nuclear arsenal, announced the suspension of a landmark arms control treaty, declared that new strategic systems had been deployed and warned that Moscow could resume nuclear testing.
A year ago, Biden warned skeptical allies that a massive buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine’s borders was a precursor to war. At the time, even some in his own government questioned Ukraine’s ability to withstand an invasion.
Instead, Ukrainian forces held Kiev and drove Russia out of some of the territory it had captured in the first weeks of the war, aided by Western arms, ammunition and equipment.
The United States has sent more than $24 billion in security aid, but US officials say the war could drag on for many months or even years.
Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Anna Koper and Andrius Sytas in Warsaw; Writing by Steve Holland, Niklas Pollard and Gwladys Fouche; Adaptation by Ross Colvin, Sandra Maler, Kevin Liffey, Peter Graff
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