The US President combined his planned “special trip” to Poland with a surprise trip to Ukraine.
(Photo: Reuters)
Berlin, Washington One day before his officially announced visit to Poland, US President Joe Biden made a surprise trip to Ukraine. In the capital Kiev he met his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday.
Both commemorated the Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war with Russia, which began with the Russian attack almost a year ago. An air alert was sounded shortly after Biden’s arrival.
For security reasons, the United States kept Biden’s trip a secret for a long time. Over the weekend, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the “special trip” to Poland was short and would focus on Warsaw. However, Biden’s arrival in Poland was originally announced for Monday and then postponed to Tuesday at short notice.
Shortly before the first anniversary of the start of the war, he traveled to Kiev to assure President Zelensky of the US’ “steadfast commitment” to Ukrainian democracy, independence and territorial integrity, Biden said in a tweet.
Russia’s president was mistaken in believing that Ukraine was weak and that the West was divided. The supporting nations continue to stand with Ukraine. On Friday, Zelensky appealed to the participants at the Munich Security Conference to give the Ukrainian “David” the necessary tools so that the Russian “Goliath” did not win the war.
In Kiev, Biden should therefore also talk about planned next steps in arms deliveries. The US has provided or pledged nearly $30 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the war began.
New rockets and fighter jets under discussion
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced in Munich that Britain would be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons. Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he was willing to provide Mig-29 fighter jets if other countries also supplied jets and the United States cooperated. Europeans are keen to keep the United States on board because American nuclear weapons provide a credible deterrent to Russia.
The US President is also likely to talk about the country’s plans for further arms deliveries.
(Photo: AP)
Shortly before Biden’s departure, US lawmakers from the Republicans and Democrats called on the president to approve the use of F-16 fighter jets. “The F-16s are an absolute must,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said at the Munich Security Conference.
US Vice President Kamala Harris had sharply condemned the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine in Munich. She accused the Kremlin of “systematic attacks on the civilian population” and “cruel acts of murder, torture, rape and deportation”. Those responsible for the brutal attack must be held accountable.
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With the visit to Poland, Biden wanted to underline “the transatlantic unity and his iron support for our allies”, as the White House had announced in the run-up to the visit. It is the second visit to Poland. The US President visited the country in March of last year, shortly after the start of the Ukraine war.
Biden plans talks in the Polish capital Warsaw on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to the White House, a meeting with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and a speech in front of the Royal Castle in Warsaw are planned.
On Wednesday he will meet with the heads of state and government of the so-called “Bucharest Nine”, the NATO countries in Eastern Europe. The group was founded in 2014 after the Russian annexation of Crimea.
With agency material.
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