Biden to arrive in Warsaw on Tuesday: Polish presidential office
Joe Biden will make a trip to Poland next week, officials have confirmed, but said the US president will arrive in Warsaw on Tuesday morning instead of Monday evening as originally planned.
US President Joe Biden Photo: EPA/JEMAL COUNTESS
The Polish presidential office said in a statement on Friday that Biden would pay a two-day visit to Poland on February 21 and 22.
Initially, the White House announced that Biden would visit Poland from February 20 to 22 to meet with the Polish president, attend a meeting of NATO’s eastern-flank countries and deliver a speech ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The US ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, said earlier this week that Biden would deliver a key speech to the Polish people on Tuesday afternoon in the gardens of Warsaw’s Royal Castle.
The US embassy in Warsaw said that Biden would on Tuesday „deliver remarks ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, addressing how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy, and how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a media interview on Thursday that he would ask Biden to send more American soldiers and military equipment to Poland when the US leader visits Warsaw next week amid Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Duda also said in the interview that Biden’s key speech in Warsaw would be „delivered to the world” and would „have great, symbolic importance for building our security system.”
John Kirby, the US National Security Council’s Coordinator for Strategic Communications, has told the media that Biden will travel to Poland because he wants to thank Duda and the Polish people for their tremendous support of Ukraine.
„Poland has been a strident ally, a tremendous supporter of Ukraine, and a generous host not only to American troops, but millions of Ukrainian refugees who have fled there in safety,” Kirby said on Monday.
He was responding to a question from Polish Radio’s Washington correspondent Marek Wałkuski, who asked him why Biden has „specifically chosen Poland for this trip since so many countries are helping Ukraine and he visited Poland 11 months ago?”
Kirby said: „The Poles are — pardon the pun — but they’re punching well above their weight. And we very much appreciate all the support.”
He added: „The President wants to thank President Duda in person. He wants to thank the Polish people in person. He wants to make broader points about how it’s important for the kind of courage and unity we’re seeing out of Poland and so many NATO Allies continues, sadly, into what will now be a second year of war.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, whitehouse.gov, pl.usembassy.gov
