Joe Biden to meet NATO eastern flank allies in Poland

The president of the United States, Joe Bidenwill meet during his trip to Poland Leaders of NATO’s eastern flank analyze the course of the war in Ukraine one year after the Russian invasion.

The US president will hold a meeting next Wednesday with the leaders of the group called the Bucharest Nine, made up of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. “It is the NATO allies who are literally on the front lines of our collective defense,” said White House Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

Most are among the strongest supporters of military aid to Ukraine, and officials from countries in the group have called for additional resources, such as air defense systems.

Before the group, Biden will reaffirm before the leaders of these countries “the unwavering support” of the United States for the defense of the Atlantic Alliancewhom he considers “more united than ever” since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Russia views NATO, which may soon expand to Sweden and Finland, as an existential threat.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda’s message to Biden will be that he wants “more US involvement in Europe, on NATO’s eastern flank and, of course, more help for Ukraine,” he said. his secretary told Lithuanian radio on Tuesday. Foreign Policy Advisor.

“Lithuania and other like-minded countries have several demands regarding air defense, forward defense presence, air defense systems and increased investment in the defense industry.“, said Asta Skaisgiryte.

Later this week, Washington will announce additional sanctions against individuals and companies that “attempt to circumvent sanctions and refuel the Russian war machine,” according to a White House spokesperson.

A year ago, Biden warned skeptical allies that the massive buildup of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders was a harbinger of war. At the time, even some members of his own government questioned Ukraine’s ability to withstand an invasion. However, Ukrainian forces resisted in Kiev and drove Russia out of some of the territory it had seized in the first weeks of the war, with the help of Western weapons, ammunition and equipment. .

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, The United States has allocated $29.3 billion in military aid to Kyiv, making it the largest donor of military assistance since the start of the war. While Biden was in Kyiv on Monday, the State Department announced additional aid for Ukraine: $450 million for artillery munitions, anti-armour systems and air defense radars and $10 million for energy infrastructure.

However, Biden did not approve the Ukrainian request for fighter jets. US analysts say the war could last for months or even years.

(With information from EFE and Reuters)

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