President Biden will travel to Europe later this month to attend a NATO summit convened in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the White House announced Tuesday.
The president will attend NATO’s March 24 summit in Brussels, Belgium, where he plans to discuss “ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine. He will also “reaffirm our ironclad commitment to NATO,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
The president will also attend a European Council summit, she said. The summit will focus on the Ukraine war, including efforts to sanction Russia, provide humanitarian aid to displaced Ukrainians and address other challenges in the region.
The goal of Mr. Biden’s Brussels trip will be to meet “face-to-face” with his European counterparts and assess Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ms. Psaki said.
“We’ve been incredibly aligned to date. That doesn’t happen by accident,” she said. “The president’s a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy. So, it’s an opportunity to do exactly that.”
Ms. Psaki declined to say whether Mr. Biden would make additional stops in Poland or meet with refugees. She also said a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not currently planned.
Moments before the White House announcement, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that he is convening an extraordinary summit on March 24.
“At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together,” he wrote.
It will also be Mr. Biden’s third trip to Europe since taking office, and his first since the war started three weeks ago.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited Poland and Romania last week to address the escalating crisis in Ukraine. She met with leaders of both nations, reaffirming the administration’s support for Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Poland this month to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart.