President Biden arrived in Warsaw, Poland Tuesday where he was met by Polish President Andrzej Duda, three days ahead of the one-year mark of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two Presidents then convened behind closed doors, where Duda’s foreign policy adviser said they would discuss Poland’s security and scaling up NATO resources in Poland.
Biden’s arrival in Poland came one day after his surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials, and gave a speech affirming U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty.
“When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong,” Biden said in prepared remarks.
Speaking alongside Zelensky at Mariinsky Palace, Biden added, “One year later, Kyiv stands.” He jammed his finger for emphasis on his podium decorated with the U.S. and Ukrainian flags as he spoke, insisting, “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”
In Poland, Biden was scheduled to deliver remarks at 11:30am Eastern Time on “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” for “as long as it takes.”
Biden’s trip to Poland came on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, during which he accused the West of attacking Russia’s economy with sanctions and launching “aggressive information attacks” against Russian culture and values.
He also repeated an accusation he’s made many times before—that it was the West who started the war. “And we are using force to end it,” said Putin.
Putin also announced that he was suspending participation in the latest START nuclear arms limitation treaty amid Biden’s visits to Ukraine and its allies.
