President Joe Biden had quite the end of his trip Wednesday night as he stumbled back up the stairs of Air Force One on his return to the United States after a three-day visit to Europe that included stops in Ukraine and Poland.
The 80-year-old president memorably fell down the stairs of Air Force One in March 2021, just two months into his term of office. He also fell off his bike in June while spending a weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Also, a White House staffer fell down the stairs of Air Force One as Biden arrived in Warsaw late Monday after his trip to Kiev.
Biden surprised the world on Monday when he showed up in Ukraine’s capital after a secret flight from Joint Base Andrews through Germany to Poland and then a sleepless 10-hour journey across the border into Ukraine by train — both directions. He then spent two days in Warsaw, where he met with NATO leaders.
NOT AGAIN: President Joe Biden ended his *trip* to Ukraine and Poland on Wednesday by falling down the stairs of Air Force One as he was walking back to the United States
A still image of President Joe Biden walking up the stairs of Air Force One seconds before plunging them back up
MARCH 2021: President Joe Biden fell down the stairs of Air Force One just two months into his presidency. One of his biggest weaknesses in the 2024 presidential campaign will be his age
One of his biggest weaknesses in the 2024 presidential campaign – should he run – will be his age, as Republican candidate Nikki Haley is already calling for politicians over 75 to be subjected to “competency tests.”
Biden originally had no penalty plan for the Europe trip.
The president was originally scheduled to leave on Monday evening for a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda and on Wednesday afternoon with the expanded group of leaders of the Bucharest Nine.
Instead, he left just after 4am on Sunday for a secret trip to Kiev so he could stand side-by-side with Ukrainian President Zelensky ahead of the February 24 one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.
To safely travel in and out of the Ukrainian capital, Biden had to travel 10 hours each way by train.
He only made it to Warsaw just after 11pm on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, the US President addressed 30,000 spectators in Warsaw’s Royal Castle Gardens – according to the Warsaw Mayor’s Office – where he announced that “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, ever”.
The event had the feel of a campaign rally, with attendees waving a mix of Polish, Ukrainian and American flags and upbeat pop music blaring through the outdoor venue ahead of Biden’s arrival.
Biden used the speech to counter remarks made by Putin earlier in the day during his long-delayed State of the Union address.
He criticized Putin’s claim that the US wanted to “destroy Russia” and said the war in Ukraine was entirely the work of the Russian president.
The result was a duel that could have come from the height of the Cold War, when East and West made dueling speeches. Putin accused Washington of starting the war before Biden hit back.
“The United States and the nations of Europe do not seek to control or destroy Russia,” Biden said to jubilation.
“The West did not plan to attack Russia, as Putin said today, and millions of Russian citizens just want to live in peace with their neighbors who are not the enemy.”
“This war was never a necessity. It’s a tragedy.’
President Joe Biden will be received by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a surprise visit to Kiev on Monday morning
President Joe Biden was greeted with a hero’s reception at the grounds of Warsaw’s Royal Castle on Tuesday night to mark the anniversary of the war in Ukraine
“Brutality will never crush the will of the free,” Biden told an audience of Polish and Ukrainian refugees. “And Ukraine… Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, ever.”
Biden arrived to find a city in a state of high anticipation. His trip to Kiev only added to the excitement, and he delivered his speech to a packed crowd at the palace
Biden accused the Russian leader of colossal war crimes. But after the dark days of a year ago, it sounded like a victory rally at times.
“A year ago, the world was preparing for the fall of Kiev,” Biden told the packed crowd. “Well, I’ve just come back from visiting Kyiv and I can report that Kyiv is strong.
“Kiev stands proud, it stands tall and, most importantly, it stands free.”
The speech provided an opportunity to address one of Biden’s key ideological issues: that authoritarian regimes are fragile in the face of democracy.
“Autocrats only understand one word, no, no, no,” he said.
“No, you will not take my land. No, you will not take my freedom.
“No, you’re not going to take my future away from me.
The Royal Warsaw Castle provided a spectacular backdrop. Polish President Andrzej Duda introduced Biden to thousands of people on the palace grounds
Biden hugs children holding flags after he finishes his speech
Earlier in the day, Polish President Andrzej Duda (right) welcomed Biden to Warsaw
Polish President Andrzej Duda and US President Joe Biden face each other during their meeting at the Presidential Palace. Biden took the opportunity to pledge support to Europe
‘And I’m going to repeat tonight what I said last year, in the same place. A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never be able to assuage the people’s love of freedom.
“Brutality will never crush the will of the free.
“And Ukraine… Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, ever.”
His speech reflected how much the region has changed since Biden’s visit a little less than a year ago. Then Kiev seemed to be on the brink of disaster as Russian troops advanced in a lightning attack.
Now the city is safe enough for a sitting American President to visit, making for a very visual display of support.
Still, on Tuesday night, he warned that “hard and very bitter days, victories and tragedies” are ahead, but pledged that the US would not waver in its support for Ukraine.
“There should be no doubt that our support for Ukraine will not waver, NATO will not be divided. And we don’t get tired,” he said.
“President Putin’s lust, greed for land and power will fail.”
Earlier Tuesday, Biden met with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the presidential palace and spoke about how important Poland was during the Ukraine war, calling the support “truly exceptional.”
Poland has welcomed around 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees into its communities since the invasion began on February 24, 2022.
Biden also cheered the larger NATO alliance.
“The truth is, the United States needs Poland and NATO as much as NATO needs the United States,” Biden said.
The folksy president also spoke about how many Polish-Americans he grew up outside of Wilmington, Delaware, and told Duda he wanted to add a “ski” to his name.
“I grew up feeling like my name didn’t end in ‘ski’ or ‘o,'” he said, recalling Delaware’s strong Polish and Italian communities.
“I told the President the pride, the overwhelming, demonstrable pride that Polish-American Americans have in Poland and the role you are playing now. We talked about it. It’s extreme,” Biden added.
On Wednesday, returning to the presidential palace, Biden called Putin’s decision to leave the New START nuclear weapons treaty a “big mistake” and vowed to defend “every inch” of NATO as diplomatic tensions between Washington and Moscow continued to worsen .
President Joe Biden (center right) stands next to (from right) Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova as leaders arrive in Warsaw for the Bucharest Nine meeting on Wednesday
President Joe Biden (left) and Polish President Andrzek Duda (right) attend a meeting of the Bucharest Nine in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday
President Joe Biden (right) shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda (left) as Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova (center) looks on at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday afternoon
President Joe Biden’s limousine, the beast, drives to the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday for his meeting with the leaders of the Bucharest Nine
Police line the route of the motorcade in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday before President Joe Biden’s meeting at the Presidential Palace with the leaders of the Bucharest Nine
Biden sat at a round table with leaders of the Bucharest Nine and sarcastically referred to Putin as a “friend.”
“The irony is that — in one of the last conversations I had with our friend in Russia, I said, you keep asking for the Finlandization of NATO, you’re going to get the ‘NATOization’ of Finland,” Biden said.
Both Finland and Sweden are in a lengthy process of joining NATO.
“As NATO’s eastern flank, close to the front lines of our collective defense, many of you know better than anyone what is at stake in this conflict. Not just free Ukraine, but freedom for democracies across Europe and around the world,” Biden told Bucharest Nine leaders.
Biden vowed the US would defend “literally every inch, every inch of NATO.”
“What is literally at stake is not just Ukraine, it’s freedom,” he later reiterated in his remarks. “The idea that over 100,000 soldiers would invade another country. Nothing like this has happened since World War II.”
Biden noted that over the past year, “things have changed radically.”
“We have to make sure we trade them back,” he said.
Earlier Wednesday, Biden marked Ash Wednesday — the first day of Lent and a major holiday for Catholics — by receiving a private service from Polish priest Wiesław Dawidowski, the cleric revealed on social media.
Dawidowski said Biden gave him a challenge coin.