Biden to travel to Poland to discuss Ukraine war with PM Duda

US President Joe Biden will travel to Poland on Friday to discuss the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has sparked a “humanitarian and human rights crisis”, the White House has said.

Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with President Andrzej Duda in capital Warsaw, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Sunday.

More than two million out of the total 3.3 million refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, according to the Polish Border Guard.

Biden’s Poland trip will come a day after he meets in Brussels with NATO Allies, G7 Leaders and European Union Leaders to discuss international efforts to support war-ravaged Ukraine.

The White House also said Biden will host a call on Monday at 11am EST (15:00 GMT) with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom to discuss their coordinated responses to the Russian aggression.

Biden will also join a scheduled European Council summit to discuss Ukraine “including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence, and address other challenges related to the conflict”, the White House said.

Earlier on Sunday, Psaki said Biden was not planning to visit Ukraine during his European trip this week.

More than 3.3 million people have fled abroad from Ukraine since last month, in what has become Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

The United Nations said some of the two million people entering Poland have moved on to other countries in the EU but “the majority are believed to be still in Poland”.