WARSAW. After the blitz in Kiev, President Biden arrived in Warsaw in the night. In the afternoon, he will deliver the speech commemorating a year of conflict in Ukraine from the Royal Palace in the Old City.
what will he say
Jake Sullivan, adviser for national security, anticipated the topics of the president’s speech in a briefing with the reporters in tow. The focus will obviously be on the conflict but the meaning will be broader and deeper and Biden will underline the importance of democracy as a place where freedom flourishes. The defense of sovereignty and international law are central elements. Democracy, Biden will reason, is stronger and a year after the conflict this is also evident in the unity and compactness of the allies in defending precisely the democratic cornerstones through support for Kiev.
What he won’t say
Sullivan explained that Biden will not use the speech to chart a course for the conflict, or to talk about negotiations or negotiations. “A road map will not be outlined – he said -“. On the other hand, the American line has not changed and Washington believes, and says openly, that the conflict would end immediately if Russia withdrew its troops. “But if Ukrainians stop fighting, Ukraine itself will cease to exist on the map.” In his speech Biden will not make references to China and will therefore not touch on the accusations that Blinken made two days ago in Beijing of supporting Russia. Instead, without going into details, there will be a call for “responsibility” for those who have committed atrocities and war crimes in Ukraine. From the Munich Security Conference, Kamala Harris had said that there is evidence of crimes against humanity and that Russia will be held responsible for her actions.
The alliances
Before the speech at the castle, President Biden will see Duda. With the Polish president, who has become the most valuable ally in the last year on the European front (together with the British and Berlin), Biden will talk about NATO’s eastern front and confirm the American commitment to defend Europe. Lastly, he will talk about energy but will also make an incursion into internal issues concerning the state of democracy or the independence of the media and justice, two issues which have been divisive in Poland in recent years.