President Joe Biden and US foreign and defence ministers Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin have met their Ukrainian counterparts for the first time to discuss how “to fortify Ukraine’s ability to fight back Russian aggression”.
Asked what he thought about Vladimir Putin by reporters in Warsaw after his official meetings, Mr Biden said the Russian leader was a “butcher”.
The Kremlin has said his comment will further narrow any possibilities of repairing relations, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Earlier, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov met with their counterparts in Warsaw ahead of the President’s speech later today.
Mr Kuleba told reporters that Ukraine had received additional security pledges from the US on developing defenceco-operation.
“We did receive additional promises from the United States on how our defence co-operation will evolve,” Mr Kuleba toldreporters.
He also said that Ukraine agreed with the US on ways to put pressure on Europe to impose fresh sanctions on Russia.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden said he was “not sure” that Russia had changed its strategy in its invasion of Ukraine after Moscow said its focus was now to completely “liberate” the breakaway eastern Donbas region.
The White House said that the US president “will deliver remarks on the united efforts of the free world to support the people of Ukraine, hold Russia accountable for its brutal war, and defend a future that is rooted in democratic principles”.
Other developments:
Mr Kuleba had earlier tweeted: “We are meeting our US counterparts Secretary Blinken and the Secretary of Defence in Warsaw together.
“This special 2+2 format allows us to seek practical decisions in both political and defence spheres in order to fortify Ukraine’s ability to fight back Russian aggression.”
As the war in Ukraine enters its second month, Western leaders have spent the past week consulting over contingency plans in case the conflict mutates or spreads.
The invasion has forced NATO out of any complacency it might have felt and cast a dark shadow over the continent.
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Ukraine foreign and defence ministers meeting their US counterparts in Warsaw
Biden to call on ‘free world’ to stand against Putin
Mr Biden will speak in Warsaw today as European security faces its most precarious test since the Second World War – arguing that the “free world” opposes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and that there is unity among major economies on the need to stop Vladimir Putin, according to the White House.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the US president’s speech will outline the “urgency of the challenge that lies ahead”.
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Joe Biden arriving at Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland on Friday
The speech will end a four-day trip that included an earlier stop for a series of summits in Brussels.
During a briefing on the refugee response on Friday, Mr Biden said “the single most important thing that we can do from the outset” to force Mr Putin to stop the war “is keeping the democracies united in our opposition”.
He also praised the humanitarian effort as being of “such an enormous consequence” given the scope of the crisis, which adds up to the largest flow of refugees since the Second World War – with some 3.5 million having fled the country, including two million who are now in Poland.
Discussion about warplanes
Mr Biden has also met with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Saturday – and the pair are expected to privately discuss how to arm Ukraine with warplanes, and other security guarantees.
They have also given a news conference in front of the world’s press, with Mr Biden explaining how important European stability is to the US, and reaffirmed his support to NATO and in particular Article 5 – the collective defence responsibilities.
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The US president was speaking to Polish president Andrzej Duda in front of the world’s press
He said: “One of the things that I thanked the president for downstairs was the fact that the single most important criteria in this changing world… is that NATO stays absolutely, completely, thoroughly united, that there be no separation in points of view, that whatever we do, we do in unison and everyone comes along.”
Mr Biden also said the whole of NATO should be taking on refugees, given Poland’s significant role in that process.
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Polish President Andrzej Duda (R) welcomes US President Joe Biden to Warsaw on Saturday
In a bid to avoid a direct conflict with Russia, Washington rejected a surprise offer by Poland earlier this month to transfer Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets to a US base in Germany to be used to replenish Ukraine’s air force.
Poland now plans to accelerate the purchase of US-made Patriot missiles, F35 fighter jets and tanks for its own security, as well as seek reassurance on NATO commitments to defend its members.
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The two presidents stand outside the Presidential Palace in Warsaw
Russian forces suffer losses
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has said that Russia has suffered significant losses as they “lack qualified personnel”.
They said: “The enemy continues to regroup and build up forces to resume offensive operations.
“In some areas he does not abandon attempts to carry out assault operations, makes air raids and tries to inflict fire damage on certain units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
Occupiers are trying to intensify the activities of sabotage in Kyiv, they added.
