WARSAW (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden, returning from his surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday, praised NATO unity in Warsaw on Tuesday and proclaimed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine, where he assured that Russia could never win a military victory.
The visit of the American president to Eastern Europe is a response to the speech delivered on Tuesday by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who once again blamed Western countries for the war in Ukraine, accusing them of threatening the existence even from Russia.
“The West is not plotting to attack Russia,” replied Joe Biden in a speech delivered at the Royal Palace in Warsaw.
The President of the United States felt that Vladimir Putin had greatly underestimated the Ukrainian authorities and the ability of NATO to remain united when he launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
“A year ago, the whole world was expecting the fall of Kyiv,” he said. “I can testify to this: Kyiv is strong, Kyiv is proud, Kyiv is standing tall and, most importantly, Kyiv is free!”
Joe Biden had previously spoken with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, one of Ukraine’s most fervent supporters, whom he thanked for his commitment.
“Your visit demonstrates the responsibility of the United States for security in the world and in Europe,” said the Polish president.
“I call on all European countries, all NATO members, to show their solidarity with Ukraine, to provide military aid to Ukraine (…) Do not be afraid to provide this help,” he added.
Poland, which shares a long border with Ukraine, serves as a rear base for arms transfers and has taken in more than 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees since the start of the conflict.
EASTERN EUROPE WANTS “MORE UNITED STATES”
Andrzej Duda’s foreign policy adviser said the two presidents should also discuss strengthening NATO’s permanent presence in Poland as the country embarks on a forced modernization of his army, but neither of the two Heads of State has publicly raised the subject.
Joe Biden was triumphantly welcomed by Poles and Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw. Some have called on him to do even more to support Kyiv in the face of the Russian invasion, including unfurling a banner calling for “F-16s for Ukraine” outside his hotel. Washington refuses for the moment to deliver combat planes.
Before returning to Washington on Wednesday, the President of the United States will meet with the leaders of the “Nine from Bucharest”, the nine countries from the former communist bloc that have joined NATO.
Most of these Eastern European countries – with the notable exception of Hungary – are strong supporters of arms deliveries to Ukraine, which they see as a bulwark for their own security.
Washington announced Monday a new military aid of 450 million dollars including in particular ammunition for Ukrainian artillery, anti-tank missiles and radars for anti-aircraft defense.
But beyond Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will tell Joe Biden that he wants “greater involvement of the United States in Europe, on the eastern flank of NATO”, declared one of his counselors at Lithuanian radio.
“Lithuania and other countries have several demands that relate to air defense systems, enhanced forward presence (of NATO) and greater investment in the defense industry,” she said.
(Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington, Alan Charlish, PawelFlorkiewicz, Anna Koper and Andrius Sytas in Warsaw; French version Tangi Salaün, editing by Bertrand Boucey)
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