US President Joe Biden boards Air Force One before departing from Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 1, 2021.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — The White House is considering a presidential trip to Europe in the coming weeks, multiple outlets reported Monday, citing anonymous sources.
A visit by President Joe Biden would amplify the effort to shore up American alliances in Europe as Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine escalates.
Since the start of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine in late February, Biden has played a leading role in marshaling NATO allies and G-7 countries to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin using a combination of economic sanctions and military deterrence.
If he were to visit Europe, Biden would likely visit Brussels, the capital of the European Union and the location of NATO headquarters, NBC News reported.
NATO has so far multiplied its forces along the alliance’s eastern flank and provided defensive weaponry and tactical equipment to Ukraine, which is not a member of the alliance but has partner status.
By his own admission, Biden has spent “hours and hours and hours” on the phone in recent weeks with U.S. allies around the world. The talks have resulted in an unprecedented package of sanctions that has effectively destroyed the Russian economy.
Yet as Putin escalates the ferocity of his attacks on civilians in Ukraine and his disinformation war back home, it’s becoming clear that Western allies will need to do more to change the calculus in Moscow.
Biden is wary of sending offensive weapons to Ukraine or attempting to defend a no-fly zone in the skies above the country. His administration has serious concerns that if U.S. actions are seen by Russia as having directly caused the death of Russian soldiers, what is currently a regional conflict could become a world war.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
