White House officials are mulling a potential trip for President Biden to Europe so that he can engage with allies on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sources confirmed Monday.
The discussions are ongoing and no trip has been finalized, the sources said. One potential destination could be Brussels, where NATO and the European Union are headquartered.
“We are of course closely engaged with our NATO partners and European allies, as you’ve heard us say a number of times, about next steps in diplomacy, whether that’s providing additional humanitarian or security assistance or the mechanics for future conversations,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about a possible trip to Europe.
“But there’s not been any final decision about a trip, so I don’t have anything to preview about what that would look like if he were to take a trip,” she added.
Any travel for Biden would follow Vice President Harris’s visit last week to Poland and Romania, where she met with leaders of each country, spoke with displaced Ukrainians and stopped by the Ukrainian border.
Biden’s travel would be an intended show of unity with European allies and NATO partners in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, with international observers and Ukrainian officials decrying indiscriminate missile attacks on civilian structures such as hospitals.
The Biden administration has imposed punishing sanctions on the Russian economy and major Russian oligarchs.
But the president has faced pressure from Ukrainian officials and U.S. lawmakers to do more, including establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine and provide fighter jets to the country. White House officials have ruled those steps out, raising concerns they could lead to a broader conflict with Russia.