President Joe Biden’s visit to Poland later this month, to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, will be a “historic moment” that will emphasise the strength of Polish-US relations and of Washington’s support for Ukraine, says US ambassador Mark Brzezinski.
Speaking to Polish broadcaster Polsat, Brzezinski noted that Biden’s visit – which will take place from 20 to 22 February – will mark the first time a US president has visited Poland twice in the space of a year. Biden also came last March, a month after the start of the war.
The ambassador confirmed that Poland would be the only country on Biden’s itinerary. This is “a very clear signal of how important Polish-US relations are”.
“I must say that this is a historic moment,” continued Brzezinski. “I am proud to be the ambassador to Poland at this very moment. The whole world is now looking at Poland and that is why President Biden is coming here.”
The White House has confirmed that Joe Biden will visit Poland later this month to mark the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The trip, from February 20-22, will include a meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda https://t.co/geetVn3Kqn
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 10, 2023
The ambassador revealed that Biden would use the visit to emphasise that “the US will continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as necessary”. They are, “after all, defending freedom and democracy”.
“[Biden] will also reaffirm the unwavering support of the US for the security of NATO,” added Brzezinski.
The ambassador confirmed that Biden would meet with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda during the trip, for talks focused on the war in Ukraine and regional security.
Asked about whether Biden would also meet with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky while in Poland, the ambassador said only that more details would be announced “as soon as possible”
Joe Biden started and ended his speech in Warsaw today by drawing on Poland's anti-communist history as inspiration for Ukraine's resistance against Russia.
He also praised the Polish people for "opening their hearts and their homes" to Ukrainian refugees https://t.co/Med0wZe6Je
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) March 26, 2022
Brzezinski added that “the Polish public will have the opportunity to see [Biden] in person at a large gathering”. This would be an opportunity for the US president to “say thank you to Polish society” for the way it has welcomed Ukrainian refugees.
“Poles did something extraordinary, it was such a rapid mobilisation of society…And we should definitely help you a little with this heavy task,” said the ambassador.
Last year, Brzezinski described Poland as a “humanitarian superpower” for its actions in response to the war in Ukraine and called for it to be granted the Nobel Peace Prize.
Poland deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for the help it has given to refugees from Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, says the US ambassador to Warsaw https://t.co/F4fKsoEUYc
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) September 28, 2022
Washington has played a key role in supporting Poland’s efforts to boost its security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last June, Biden announced the establishment of a permanent US military base in Poland, its first on NATO’s eastern flank.
Warsaw has also embarked on a series of major arms purchases from the US, including for Abrams tanks, Patriot missile systems and HIMARS rocket launchers.
The US is also the primary source of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) that Poland is increasingly using as it ends the import of Russian energy supplies.
Main image credit: Jakub Szymczuk/KPRP
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
