Senate Democrats meeting with Polish officials to discuss Russian aggression

Three Senate Democrats traveled to Poland on Monday to meet with government officials and discuss the recent Russian aggression toward Ukraine.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will meet with Polish government officials including President Andrzej Duda for talks about European security matters.

“Poland is an important U.S. and NATO ally and I’m glad to be on the ground with our partners to address the urgent security crisis facing the region due to Putin’s escalating provocations,” Shaheen said in a statement. “Europe’s security matters to the United States, both due to our trusted partnerships as well the implications for how Putin may continue to lash out at democracies and the West.”

The senators will also meet with Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak as well as the U.S. ambassadors to Poland and Belarus. 

In addition, Shaheen, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, will be meeting with members of the Belarusian pro-democracy movement.

This visit takes places amid warnings that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent. 

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that the U.S. believes Russia will proceed with an “extremely violent” invasion of Ukraine.

However, diplomatic efforts also continue, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later this week and President Biden agreeing “in principle” on Sunday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin if Moscow does not invade Ukraine.