Biden to host Polish leaders in show of support for Ukraine, NATO

President Biden will host the leaders of Poland at the White House next month in a show of support for NATO after former President Trump signaled he would undermine the alliance in a potential second term.

Biden will welcome Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk on March 12, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

“The leaders will reaffirm their unwavering support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s brutal war of conquest,” Jean-Pierre said.

The meeting will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Poland joining NATO, and the leaders will underscore their commitment to the alliance. The annual NATO summit will take place in Washington, D.C., in July.

Energy security and the U.S.-Poland economic relationship will also be on the agenda.

The meeting will take place as NATO and support for Ukraine have run into opposition from Republican leaders in Washington.

Trump, the GOP front-runner for president in November, made headlines with comments at a recent rally in which he suggested he would do nothing to protect a NATO ally if they had not spent enough on defense funding.

“I said, ‘You didn’t pay. You’re delinquent.’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you,” Trump told the crowd. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”

Biden condemned those comments as “dangerous” and “un-American.”

The White House has also faced opposition from the GOP-led House to pass additional funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Biden and other officials have said support for Ukraine is critical, because Russia could look to attack a NATO ally down the road and draw U.S. forces into a conflict.

The Senate this week overwhelmingly passed national security funding to provide support for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) signaled the bill would not receive a vote in the House because it lacked desired border provisions. Johnson earlier this month had rejected a bipartisan Senate proposal on border security measures.