White House: Biden Shows His Commitment to NATO in Poland

US President Joe Biden on Friday visited US troops stationed in Poland, not far from the border with Ukraine. The visit was part of his two-day visit to Poland.

The White House said the visit symbolized the US’s commitment to protecting other NATO countries, an obligation Biden has repeatedly described as “sacred.”

Biden visited soldiers from the 82nd US Airborne Division, the last US division to leave Afghanistan last summer and now part of NATO forces in Eastern Europe. US forces have increased their presence in Eastern Europe since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and have currently stationed 10,500 troops in Poland.

“You are in the middle of a battle between democracies and autocrats,” Biden told the military. “What you do is important, really important.”

Later, Biden will attend a meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the region, the White House said. On Saturday, Biden will hold talks with Polish leaders in Warsaw and visit a shelter for Ukrainian refugees. He will conclude his visit later that day with a speech the White House says will be “important and meaningful.”