Biden meets in Poland with the leaders of the eastern flank of NATO

By Aamer Madhani -

WARSAW — President Joe Biden concludes his whirlwind four-day visit to Poland and Ukraine by assuring NATO's eastern flank allies that his administration is closely watching the imminent threats and other impacts from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Before leaving Warsaw on Wednesday, Biden will hold talks with the leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of nations in the easternmost parts of the NATO alliance that came together in response to Ukraine's annexation of Crimea by the Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014.

As the war in Ukraine drags on, the concerns of the Bucharest Nine have been growing.

Many worry that Putin could take military action against them if he succeeds in Ukraine.

The alliance includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

[The war in Ukraine enters a decisive period after Biden's trip to kyiv and Putin's speech]

“When Russia invaded, it wasn't just Ukraine that was tested.

The whole world faced a test for eternity,” Biden said in a speech delivered Tuesday at the foot of the Royal Castle in Warsaw to commemorate the grim milestone of the Russian invasion a year ago.

“Europe was being put to the test.

The United States was on trial.

NATO was on trial.

All democracies were being put to the test,” he declared.

Putin blamed the West for the war.

Biden responded by telling him that Russia is facing the world

Feb 21, 202301:30

Putin delivered his own speech on Tuesday, in which he lashed out at Ukraine and its Western allies.

The Russian president also announced that the Kremlin will suspend its participation in the last remaining arms control treaty between the United States and Russia.

The move is expected to have an immediate impact on the visibility of Russian nuclear activities by the United States, but the pact was already in danger of extinction.

Putin's decision to suspend Russian cooperation with the treaty's nuclear warhead and missile inspections comes after Moscow late last year called off talks aimed at salvaging a deal the two sides have accused each other of violating.

Biden met in Warsaw on Tuesday with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who last week claimed Russia was behind a plot to overthrow her country's government using outside saboteurs.

[Biden responds to Putin from Poland: “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia”]

This country, located between Ukraine and Romania and one of the poorest in Europe, maintains historical ties with Russia, but wants to join the European Union of 27 countries.

In his speech, Biden endorsed Moldova's candidacy for the EU.

“I am proud to stand with you and the freedom-loving people of Moldova,” Biden declared of Sandu and his country in his speech on Tuesday.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago, Moldova, a former Soviet republic of some 2.6 million people, has tried to strengthen ties with its Western partners.

Last June it obtained the status of candidate for the EU, the same day as Ukraine.

President Joe Biden delivers a speech to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at the Royal Castle Gardens in Warsaw. Evan Vucci / AP

Sandu spoke last week of a Russian plot "to overthrow the constitutional order."

He spoke after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had intercepted plans by Russian secret services to destroy Moldova.

Those claims were later confirmed by Moldovan intelligence officials.

Biden's speech on the Ukraine war came a day after his surprise visit to kyiv, a grand gesture of solidarity with Ukraine.

The speech was partly an affirmation of Europe's role in helping Ukraine repel a Russian invasion and partly a stark warning to Putin that the United States will not stand for Russia winning the war.

[Kamala Harris accuses Russia of committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine]

Over the past year, the White House has praised several countries on the eastern flank, including Lithuania, Poland and Romania, for redoubling their efforts to support Ukraine with arms and economic aid and for hosting refugees.

Biden has paid special attention to Poland's efforts.

The country hosts about 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees and has committed $3.8 billion in military and economic aid to kyiv.

“The truth of the matter is this: the United States needs Poland and NATO as much as NATO needs the United States,” Biden declared during his talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda.