U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and Polish President Andrzej Duda shake hands during a military welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
Highlights
- US President Joe Biden on Saturday held bilateral talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
- He sought to reassure Poland that the United States would defend against any attacks by Russia.
On his final day in Europe, United States President Joe Biden on Saturday held bilateral talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda. He sought to reassure 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 neighboring Ukraine, reported news agency AP.
"We acknowledge that Poland is taking on significant responsibilities, that I don't think should just be Poland's, it should be all of NATO's responsibility... The US should do our part relative to Ukraine by opening our borders to another 100,000 people", Biden said.
Biden also assured that he takes Article V as a sacred obligation. He emphasized the importance of staying in touch with Poland regarding both US and Poland's intentions pertaining to Russia's actions against Ukraine. "So I thank you Mr President (Polish Pres Andrzej Duda) for letting us know exactly what's on the mind of Polish people. We take Article V as a sacred obligation", Biden said.
In addition to the meeting with Duda, he stopped by a meeting of American and Ukrainian diplomatic and defense officials for an update on Ukraine’s military, diplomatic and humanitarian situation.
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. More than 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began, and 2 million of them are in Poland.
(AP, ANI inputs)
