As Russia crosses the three-week mark of its invasion of Ukraine, world leaders are becoming increasingly concerned with how long the carnage will last and what can be done about it.
According to Fox News, President Joe Biden will soon be forced to skip his nearly-weekly trips to his Delaware residence, as he’ll travel to Brussels, Belgium next week to attend what’s being called an “extraordinary” NATO summit on March 24, where NATO leaders will discuss the ongoing war on Ukraine.
The announcement comes in the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris making a series of flubs during her recent trip to Eastern Europe, where she suggested that Ukraine is tied to NATO.
Many cable news pundits believe that because of her predictably embarrassing trip abroad, Harris has been “benched,” and the White House is now sending the president to take care of business, though Biden’s critics are already cringing at the thought of how he also stands a high chance of humiliating America on the world stage.
What’s his goal?
According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the president will “discuss the 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.”
Biden will also attend a European Council Summit where he’ll talk about “shared concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence, and to address other challenges related to the conflict.”
“The president is a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy,” Psaki said, adding that the summit is “an opportunity to do exactly that.”
Reporters want to know if Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while he’s in the region, but the White House was unclear, saying it’s still “finalizing” the details of the trip.
“The real focus right now is to meet with NATO partners in Brussels,” Psaki explained. “If there are additional steps, we’ll share all those details with all of you.”
New aid package
The announcement of Biden’s European trip came as the administration announced a new round of monetary and military aid for Ukraine as they continue to fight to defend their country, with an $800 million package in the works, USA Today noted.
Though Ukraine has openly expressed gratitude for the U.S. assistance, leaders of the country, including Zelenskyy, continue to call for the U.S. and NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukrainian skies to help defend from the Russian onslaught.
Only time will tell if Biden makes any kind of measurable progress during his upcoming trip, but if it’s like anything else he touches, it would be a safe bet to count on an endless string of gaffes making the headlines instead.
