Ukraine war: Nato defence vow ‘sacred’ says Biden, promises Poland ‘your freedom and ours’
- President Joe Biden met with President Andrzej Duda in Poland, a country that has faced warnings from Moscow for sending military aid to Ukraine
- Nato has strengthened its presence in eastern Europe in recent weeks, although it’s repeatedly ruled out a no-fly zone for Ukraine or sending troops in
President Joe Biden met with Ukraine’s defence and foreign ministers, and with Poland’s president, assuring them that the US vow to defend Nato territory is a “sacred commitment”.
The comment came as Biden met with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, a country that is faced warnings from Moscow for sending military aid to Ukraine, and which borders Belarus, a key ally of Russia. “We take Article 5 as a sacred commitment,” Biden said, referring to Nato’s mutual defence clause.
“You can count on that … For your freedom and ours,” he told Duda, who said that Poles were feeling a “great sense of threat” as a result of the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine.
Biden reassured Poland that the United States would defend against any attacks by Russia and he acknowledged that the Nato ally bore the burden of the refugee crisis from the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
Biden said Poland is taking a “significant” responsibility in the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, adding that the world should help lessen the burden.
At the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, the two leaders spoke of their mutual respect and shared goals to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Although times are very difficult, today Polish-American relations are flourishing,” Duda said.
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Nato has strengthened its presence in eastern Europe in recent weeks, although it’s repeatedly ruled out a no-fly zone for Ukraine or sending troops in, given that the country is not a member of the military alliance. Duda said Poland intends to buy more US military equipment, without going into details.
Also, on Saturday Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov met with their US counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
President Biden joined the meeting about an hour after it started and stayed for about 40 minutes, before holding his meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. The US leader is expected to make a “major address” later on Saturday on US and allied efforts to aid Ukraine and counter Russian aggression.
It was the first time Biden and Kuleba had met face-to-face since Vladimir Putin’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
