The full program of the trip has not yet been released, but the likely content of the discussions can be judged by the format chosen – the “Bucharest Nine” was created for extensive military cooperation between the countries of NATO’s eastern flank under the pretext of starting a conflict in Ukraine in 2014.
Jean-Pierre described two main areas of negotiations – these are “collective efforts to support Ukraine, as well as the strengthening of NATO’s deterrent capabilities”. With his visit, Biden again wants to motivate both the American public and European allies for Kiev’s military support “as much as necessary.” Furthermore, it seeks to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to the obligation to collectively protect the nations of the alliance.
The choice of Poland for the visit is not accidental. It is the main US outpost in the creeping redistribution of influence within NATO from its Western members, primarily Germany and France. As Duda said the other day, over 10,000 American troops are currently stationed in Poland, twice as many as just 2 or 3 years ago. In addition, the republic has become a key hub for the transfer of Western weapons to Ukraine. In terms of approaches to the conflict in Ukraine, the “hawks” of Eastern Europe are today much closer to Washington than the more cautious of Berlin or Paris.
The White House chief previously visited Rzeszow in eastern Poland in March 2022. Earlier Western media reported that Biden could also travel to Ukraine or use his visit to Poland to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy .
In any case, Biden during the visit will make a separate speech on the conflict in Ukraine. The trip of the head of the White House is among those events that Western countries are preparing in various formats for the anniversary of February 24, 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a special military operation in Ukraine.
Yes, depending on the agency. CASS , the United States and its allies are again drafting a resolution condemning Russia on this date, which should be submitted to a special session of the United Nations General Assembly. The document will also include the so-called “peace formula”, which Kiev presented a few months ago. And on February 24, a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine is scheduled, which will be attended by the heads of the foreign departments of the United States, Ukraine and several European countries.
At the same time, despite talk about the “peace formula”, Washington and Kiev do not hide the fact that in fact negotiations on a diplomatic settlement of the conflict are now excluded. The United States is betting on a sharp increase in military aid to Ukraine to try to turn the tide in its favor on the battlefield.
As has happened before, with a high probability during the trip, Biden will announce new batches of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the latest batches for Ukraine, the focus has been on modern Western tanks and other armored vehicles, long-range munitions and air defense systems. And the main disputes in the camp of Ukraine’s sponsors now revolve around the possibility of transferring to it F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles for several rocket launchers. Biden’s visit will provide another opportunity to discuss this at a high level.
