WASHINGTON (Fwrd Axis) — President Joe Biden will travel to Brussels next week for an emergency meeting with NATO leaders as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine escalates with each passing day.
“The president is set to travel to Brussels for a NATO summit on March 24 to discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, as well as to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.
Biden will also join the European Council summit to discuss humanitarian support to Ukraine and the sanctions that have been placed on Russia thus far.
“His goal is to meet in person, face-to-face with his European counterparts and talk about where we are at this point in the conflict in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia,” Psaki said. “We’ve been incredibly aligned to date — that doesn’t happen by accident. The president is a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy, so it’s an opportunity to do exactly that.”
Psaki declined to say if Biden would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or if he would travel to Poland as the details of the trip are still being worked out.
The news comes after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed the summit will take place earlier Tuesday.
“We will address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO’s deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together,” Stoltenberg said.
CNBC first reported the news of the White House was considering the possibility of Biden traveling to Europe.
