(CNN) — US President Joe Biden will visit Poland this month to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, returning to the region as the war enters a volatile new phase and no clear path to peace is in sight.
The US president plans to visit Poland from February 20-22. The White House said that he is scheduled to meet with President Duda and other leaders in the region there. He will deliver a speech before the official anniversary of the war, on February 24.
A year ago, Biden urgently warned a once-sceptical world that the massive buildup of Russian troops along Poland’s Ukraine borders was a foretaste of war. At the time, even some within his own government questioned the Ukrainians’ ability to resist an invasion, predicting the imminent fall of the capital, Kyiv.
By contrast, Ukrainian fighters have occupied the capital and continue to resist Russian attempts to control the territory, aided by an influx of Western weapons, ammunition and equipment. The war has become a grueling conflict that US officials say might last for months or even years.
The war has also shaped Biden’s foreign policy, as its consequences spill over into the global economy and lead to a new common front between the United States and its European allies. In total, the US has provided $30 billion in security assistance to Ukraine during the Biden administration, according to the Pentagon.
Biden advisers have planned for several weeks how the anniversary of the invasion will be commemorated, including a possible major speech. They hope to highlight the resilience of the Ukrainian people while emphasizing the importance of unity in the uncertain months ahead.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently preparing for an expected Russian offensive in the spring, appealing to Western governments for additional assistance and weapons to help sustain the fighting.
He visited London, Paris and Brussels this week to place his orders in person, a bizarre trip outside his country that gave his calls a new urgency. Zelensky made his first trip out of Ukraine to Washington late last year, when he met with Biden in the Oval Office and gave remarks before Congress.
US President Joe Biden pictured during Biden’s departure from Brussels to Poland, Friday March 25, 2022 (Credit: NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/BELGIAN MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
His main request has been for more advanced weapons, including fighter jets and tanks, which he says are needed to prevent Russian advances. While the British and French leaders seemed open to sending planes, Biden answered “no” last month when asked if he would send American F-16s.
It did agree last month to test sophisticated M1 Abrams tanks and has already provided Patriot missile defense systems.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to be in Europe this month for the Munich Security Conference, where the war in Ukraine will be the main topic of discussion among world leaders.
Poland is a key NATO ally currently hosting thousands of US troops and also serving as a hub for Western arms transfers to Ukraine. American service members also train Ukrainian troops there.
Biden last visited the country in April, traveling near the Ukrainian border to visit US and Polish troops. She also met with refugees fleeing Ukraine following the invasion.
In a major speech delivered from the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Biden said for the first time that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” coming close to calling for regime change in Moscow.
