As Americans grow weary of Ukraine war, Biden plans to mark Russia invasion anniversary
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WASHINGTON – On the heels of an unannounced trip to Kyiv, President Joe Biden will mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a trip to Poland to again assure the Ukrainian people that the U.S. will stand with them for as long as it takes.
The trip, Biden’s second to Poland in less than a year, comes as Russia has started what is expected to be a fierce spring assault in Ukraine and as polls show support softening among the American public for providing Ukraine with weaponry and direct assistance.
The latest
Where is Biden heading? Biden will stay in Warsaw. Poland is a critical ally, having welcomed 1.5 Ukrainian refugees during the war and providing Ukraine $3.8 billion in aid.
What’s on Biden’s agenda? Biden plans to meet Tuesday with Polish President Andrzej Duda to discuss his nation's logistical role in getting military aid to Ukraine and collective efforts to bolster deterrence efforts among the NATO alliance. He also plans to meet Wednesday with allies on NATO’s eastern flank to reaffirm U.S. support for the security of alliance.
Biden to deliver speech: Biden plans to give a speech on Tuesday ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His remarks will address how the U.S. has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy, the White House said.
Top takeaways
Biden’s visit to Poland comes just days ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022, in an unprovoked assault that triggered the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. One year later, the war shows no signs of ending.
Biden has worked to rally international support around Ukraine and punish Russia for its aggression. The U.S. has hit Russia with a barrage of sanctions intended to cripple its economy and has sent billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine. Last month, for example, Biden announced the transfer of 31 Abrams tanks to thwart an anticipated Russian spring offensive and galvanize European allies.
Now, Zelenskyy is pushing for the U.S. to send Ukraine F-16 fighter jets, but the Biden administration has indicated no such plans. "No," Biden told reporters Jan. 31 when asked if the U.S. plans to send warplanes.
Americans growing weary of war in Ukraine
Americans appear to be growing tired of providing Ukraine with weapons and economic assistance.
Forty-eight percent of Americans surveyed said they favor the U.S. providing weapons to Ukraine, while 29% were opposed and 22% said they’re neither in favor nor opposed, according to a poll released last week by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In May 2022, less than three months into the war, 60% of U.S. adults said they were in favor of sending Ukraine weapons.
In December, Zelenskyy traveled to Washington for a White House meeting with Biden and later addressed Congress, thanking the United States for its contributions but stressing more was needed. Zelenskyy also met with European leaders earlier this month to thank them for their support and ask for further commitments.
Biden's second trip to Poland as president
This is Biden's second trip to Poland in less than a year. Last March, just weeks after the war in Ukraine started, Biden traveled to Warsaw to present a united front with U.S. allies against Russian aggression. He also met with Ukrainian refugees, including children who asked him to “say a prayer for my dad or my grandfather or my brother."
The most noteworthy moment came at the end, when Biden said during a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power.” Biden's aides quickly tried to walk the comment back, insisting the president was not promoting regime change. But some analysts speculated that Biden may have been saying out loud what he silently believes.
What the White House is saying
Biden's audience: John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, said Biden's remarks will be directed at Americans, the Polish people and other allies. "And I suspect you'll hear him messaging Mr. Putin as well and the Russian people."
No end in sight: "He can end it now," Kirby said of Putin, "just by pulling his troops out. He has shown no indication of being willing to do that."
Downplaying critics: Kirby rejected the premise that support for Ukraine is waning, downplaying critics as a "small number" of House Republicans and saying all U.S. aid has been "in full consultation and coordination with Congress. There's no such thing as a blank check. We're all doing it together."
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Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine war fatigue hits Americans as Biden plans to mark anniversary
