‘One of the decisive moments of his presidency’: Biden heads to a troubled Europe
Heading to the doorstep of the war, Biden will talk up what the U.S. can do as Europe laments what it can’t do.
MUNICH — President Joe Biden heads to Europe this week in a trip meant to be a show of defiance.
He will mark a second year of war by denouncing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and publicly declare that the United States will support Kyiv until the final moments of the conflict.
But the backdrop to Biden’s trip is also complicated, dangerous and uncertain.
As the fighting continues to rage, both sides of the Atlantic fear that Russia is finding its footing, Ukraine may be overmatched in certain parts of the east and south and the West’s pipeline of weapons will slow to a trickle.
Biden leaves Monday for Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda and other key NATO leaders. U.S. officials believe that Ukraine’s defense is about to hit a critical phase with Russia launching its much-telegraphed offensive. The Biden administration has urgently pressed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration to consolidate its gains — and perhaps launch its own counterstrike.
The White House has also told Zelenskyy’s team, per multiple officials, to prepare for the offensive now, as weapons and aid from Washington and Europe flow freely, for fear that backing from Ukraine’s European neighbors could be finite.
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Joe Biden’s trip to Poland comes just days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His trip is complicated, dangerous and uncertain as fighting continues to rage. https://t.co/y6pf1Y2jMa
— POLITICO (@politico) February 19, 2023
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