US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Poland’s commitment to taking in war refugees from Ukraine with a visit to NATO’s eastern flank. “I’m here in Poland to see the humanitarian crisis firsthand,” said Biden in Rzeszow, Poland – just 90 kilometres from the border with Ukraine. Together with Poland’s head of state Andrzej Duda, Biden found out about the care of the refugees. Almost 2.24 million have entered the country so far, the majority have stayed in Poland.

Biden expressed disappointment that he could not see the consequences of the Russian war of aggression as directly as he had in other trouble spots around the world. For security reasons, he is not allowed to cross the border into Ukraine “to see what’s going on in Ukraine,” he said.

Biden again calls Putin War Criminal

Biden also visited US troops stationed there in Rzeszow. Speaking to members of an airborne division, he said: “You are in the midst of a struggle between democracies and oligarchs.” Repelling Russian aggression is also about the freedom of the children and grandchildren of the soldiers. At the same time, Biden once again called Russia’s President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” for invading and attacking civilian targets.

In the evening, Biden left for Warsaw, where he will hold further appointments on Saturday. Among other things, he wants to give a speech on the war. Biden will speak about why it is so important “that the free world maintain unity and resolve in the face of Russian aggression,” announced his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. A bilateral meeting with his Polish colleague Duda is also on the agenda.

Duda’s plane has to make an emergency landing

Biden’s trip to NATO’s eastern flank began in the afternoon with a program change. The reason for this was that the plane with Duda on board had to return to Warsaw due to damage. Ten minutes after departure, he was informed that the plane was unstable, Duda said in the evening. “And indeed, shortly after, we felt that the plane was swaying strangely, and the pilot decided that he had to return to Warsaw because he has better landing conditions there.” There Duda then changed to a replacement aircraft.

Biden should have been greeted by Duda at Rzeszow Airport. The US President did not get off Air Force One for almost an hour after landing – he only left the plane at around 3 p.m. Among others, he was received by the Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. The replacement plane with Duda on board landed at the airport at about the same time.