Kirby says ‘no plans’ for Biden to enter Ukraine during trip to Poland

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday that there are “no plans” for President Biden to enter Ukraine during his upcoming trip to Poland as Russia’s war against Kyiv approaches its second year.

“We obviously are maintaining a high degree of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The United States leads the world in terms of contributions, whether it’s humanitarian assistance or military weapons to Ukraine, and we’re going to continue to use our convening power, to marshall the world, to galvanize support for Ukraine, but there are no plans for the president to enter Ukraine on this trip,” Kirby said on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.”

Biden will be in Poland, which borders Ukraine, this week ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday. It’ll be the president’s second trip to the country, coming nearly a year after he visited Poland shortly after Russia’s invasion last year.

Kirby on Sunday said Biden’s agenda for the upcoming trip includes a bilateral meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda and remarks on global unity in Warsaw. He’ll also thank Poland for its support to Ukraine, to refugees and to U.S. troops now on rotational deployments in Poland.

Warsaw “has really stepped up as a NATO ally and a good friend,” Kirby noted.

The president is set to arrive in Warsaw on Tuesday and conclude the trip the next day.