US president to pay two-day visit to Poland
Joe Biden, the US president, will arrive in Poland later on Friday for a two-day visit during which he is scheduled to hold talks with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, and make an address at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
Biden is coming to Poland straight from Brussels, where he attended an extraordinary Nato summit, a European Council meeting and a G7 summit on Thursday, as Western leaders are trying to align their policies in face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
Explaining the rationale behind Biden's visit to Poland, the US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, reiterated Poland's role as a Nato flank country and its hosting of US armed forces.
According to Sullivan, Biden may discuss long-term changes in Nato troop deployments on the alliance's eastern flank.
Biden will arrive in the south-eastern city of Rzeszow in the early afternoon on Friday, where he will meet Duda. Then, the two presidents will meet NGOs involved in helping Ukrainian refugees.
Later on, the US president will head to Warsaw. His talks with Duda will continue on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, Biden will deliver an address at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
Piotr Mueller, the Polish government spokesman, said on Friday morning that Biden is also going to visit the National Stadium in Warsaw, which has been turned into an assistance point for Ukrainian refugees, to see how aid is provided to those who have fled the war in their country.
A range of US officials have visited Poland recently, including the US vice-president, Kamala Harris, the secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin and the secretary of state, Antony Blinken.
Biden's visit will be the 14th by a US president to Poland.
