President Joe Biden was seen leaving his weekly Mass during his regular weekend in Delaware, just before his first trip to Europe since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Saturday, Biden, 79, was seen leaving St. Edmond Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
The President regularly returns to his native Delaware for weekends and traditionally attends Roman Catholic Mass on Saturdays.
Biden was seen wearing his black mask to get into the car escorting him.
Spectators filled the sidewalks as they watched the presidential motorcade leave the church. Although Biden often attends mass with his children or grandchildren, he left the service alone on Saturday.
Biden replaces a mask before being loaded into a motorcade’s vehicle as it leaves a church in Delaware.
Biden waves to onlookers before departing in his usual presidential motorcade
Apparently, Biden went to church alone on Saturday. He attends Mass regularly when he is at home in Delaware.
Biden attended Mass ahead of his first trip to Europe since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Biden attended Mass at that church, St. Edmond Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
The president will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.
Biden will meet with European leaders at an extraordinary NATO summit in Brussels on March 24.
He will also take part in the planned European Council summit, where efforts are being made to impose sanctions and further humanitarian action.
“While he is there, his goal is to personally meet face to face with his European counterparts and discuss, assess where we are at this stage of the conflict during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Today we are incredibly united,” Psaki said.
“This is not happening by chance. The President is a big proponent of face-to-face diplomacy. So this is an opportunity to do just that.”
President Joe Biden leaves St. Edmond Catholic Church after attending mass in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Biden will travel to Brussels on March 24 to discuss the invasion with America’s NATO allies.
Spectators watch as the presidential motorcade carrying U.S. President Joe Biden travels to St. Edmond’s Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
A parishioner is photographed before US President Joe Biden leaves St. Edmond Catholic Church.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks at a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Washington.
The White House announced the president’s trip shortly before Biden signed a bill on Tuesday to provide Ukraine with $13.6 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid as part of a $1.5 trillion government spending measure.
Biden said at the bill’s signing ceremony that the US is “taking urgent action to further increase support for the courageous people of Ukraine who are defending their country.”
The trip follows a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris on NATO’s eastern flank to Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in Eastern Europe caused by the Russian invasion and highlight the Biden administration’s support for NATO allies.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said on Tuesday that Biden’s visit to Poland is “very likely” when he comes to Europe.
More than 1.8 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the start of the war, according to the UN. More than 3 million people have left Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion.
“It would be hard to imagine a better place for the United States and the entire alliance to highlight their position than the brightest link on the eastern flank, which is Poland,” Rau told Polish state television channel TVP INFO.
Psaki said she did not have further details about whether Biden would visit Poland during the trip.
The White House announcement of Biden’s visit to Brussels came on the same day that the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia traveled by train to Kyiv, despite the security risks, to show their support for Ukraine.
According to EU representatives, this visit was not authorized by other members of the bloc from 27 countries.
Daniel Hamilton, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs, said Biden’s trip to Europe is because the White House hopes to continue supporting what has been largely united Western opposition to Russia after the invasion.
“As the war goes on, it’s important that the president show that he’s not sitting comfortably across the Atlantic, but is part of a coalition meeting with European counterparts in Europe, and that the United States is a European power,” said Hamilton, a non-resident fellow Brookings Institution, Washington think tank.
Biden gets into the car as he leaves St. Edmond’s Catholic Church after attending Mass.
Biden will also attend the planned European Council summit in Belgium, where sanctions efforts and further humanitarian efforts are underway.