President Biden is set to make a brief trip to Poland in the days leading up to the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said.
Biden will leave Washington on Monday, Feb. 20 and return on Feb 22. He will meet with Polish President Andrejz Duda as well as leaders of eastern flank allies known as the "Bucharest 9," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Rallying international support for Ukraine has been a major focus for Biden since Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 – initially for an unprecedented barrage of sanctions that the West hoped would hobble Russia's economy, and later for hundreds of billions of military and economic aid to boost Ukraine's fight.
Biden's message has consistently been that the United States will stand with Ukraine "as long as it takes." But as the war drags on, American sentiment has shifted with a growing number of people – particularly Republicans – saying the United States is giving too much aid to Ukraine.
Biden spent very little time on Ukraine in this year's State of the Union address, focusing instead on domestic issues as his focus turns to what's expected to be a second run for office in 2024, where the costs of ongoing support for Ukraine could become a campaign issue.
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