The Biden administration is discussing sending a senior official to Ukraine to meet with the country’s president in a show of support for the besieged nation after several European leaders made the trip in recent days.
Among those believed to be making a “surprise” visit by Vladimir Zelensky to Kyiv are Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, Politico reported late Wednesday.
President Biden, who complained last month during a trip to Europe that “I will not be released” on Ukrainian soil, is unlikely to be the one to go, the report added. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that “there are no plans” for such a presidential trip.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also not considered a likely candidate, although she visited Poland and Romania last month.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken may travel to Ukraine on behalf of the White House.REUTERS / Michael A. McCoy / Pool / File Photo Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to the streets of Kyiv together last week. service / distribution via REUTERS
The discussions were announced days after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Zelensky and the two men strolled the deserted streets of Kyiv in solidarity.
Other leaders who recently visited Ukraine include European Commission President Ursula von de Layen and the presidents of Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, who traveled by train on Wednesday.
If a decision is made to send a cabinet official, it is unlikely that the announcement will be made in advance due to security concerns, Politico reported. The publication also said that the time of each potential trip is uncertain due to events on the ground in Ukraine.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is also an option to travel to Ukraine. Michael A. McCoy / Pool via AP
The lack of a personal visit from Biden when he traveled to Belgium and Poland last month sparked a rebuke for the president by Ukraine’s deputy prime minister earlier this week.
“It would be a huge symbolic step to show that he is not afraid of the world’s rapist, the world’s butcher.” [Russian President Vladimir] “Putin who covered Europe in the bodies of Ukrainian women and who commits mass atrocities live on the air,” Irina Vereshchuk told CNN on Monday. “And that would have been a symbolic and historic step, but it didn’t happen.”
During the president’s visit in March, Russian troops took part in daily battles with Ukrainian forces in the suburbs around Kyiv. They began withdrawing earlier this month in apparent preparations for a large-scale attack in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.
President Biden, seen here with Polish President Andrzej Duda last month, has drawn criticism for not traveling to Ukraine, although he has recently traveled to other European countries. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images Zelensky recently met with Polish President Andrzej Duda (second from left), Latvian President Egils Levits (second from right), Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda (left) and Estonian President Alar Karis in during their visit to Ukraine. DISTRIBUTION / THE PRESIDENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE SER / AFP via Getty Images
To help counter the threat, Biden announced an additional $ 800 million permit for new military aid, including heavy weapons and helicopters, after a one-hour conversation with Zelensky on Wednesday.
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