President Joe Biden is winding up a four-day trip to Poland and Ukraine by assuring NATO’s eastern flank members that his government is acutely aware of the future risks and other consequences of Russia’s relentless assault on Ukraine.
Before leaving Warsaw on Wednesday, Biden will meet with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of states from the NATO alliance’s most eastern flanks that banded together in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
As the Ukraine conflict continues, the Bucharest Nine countries’ concerns have grown. Many fear that if Putin is successful in Ukraine, he will take military action against them next. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia are among the members of the alliance.
“When Russia invaded, it wasn’t just Ukraine being tested. The whole world faced a test for the ages,” Biden said in an address from the foot of Warsaw’s Royal Castle on Tuesday to mark the somber milestone of the year-old Russian invasion. “Europe was being tested. America was being tested. NATO was being tested. All democracies were being tested.”
Biden met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Warsaw on Tuesday. Sandu said last week that Moscow was behind a plot to destabilize her country’s administration by utilizing external saboteurs.
Eastern European country, between Ukraine and Romania, has historical ties with Russia yet wishes to join EU
The Eastern European country, sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania and one of Europe’s poorest, has historical ties to Russia yet wishes to join the 27-nation European Union. In his speech, Biden supported Moldova’s desire to join the EU.
“I’m proud to stand with you and the freedom-loving people of Moldova,” Biden said of Sandu and her country in his Tuesday address.
Moldova, a former Soviet country of around 2.6 million people, has sought deeper connections with its Western partners since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine about a year ago. It was granted EU candidate status on the same day as Ukraine last June.
Sandu recently spoke out about a Russian attempt to “overthrow the constitutional order.” She came out when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that his country had intercepted Russian secret service intentions to attack Moldova. Moldovan intelligence officials eventually corroborated the assertions.
Biden’s address on the Ukraine war came just one day after a surprise visit to Kyiv in a show of sympathy for the Ukrainian people. The speech was part of the confirmation of Europe’s responsibility in assisting Ukraine in repelling Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and a part stern warning to Putin that the US will not tolerate Moscow defeating Ukraine.
White House has praised many eastern flank nations, notably Lithuania, Poland, and Romania
Over the previous year, the White House has praised many eastern flank nations, notably Lithuania, Poland, and Romania, for stepping up efforts to provide arms and economic aid to Ukraine as well as take in refugees.
Biden has paid special attention to Poland’s initiatives. The country is currently housing over 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees and has pledged $3.8 billion in military and economic aid to Kyiv.
“The truth of the matter is: The United States needs Poland and NATO as much as NATO needs the United States,” Biden said during talks with Duda on Wednesday.