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Feb. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President Joe Biden will host Poland President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk in March, the White House said Thursday. "The leaders will reaffirm their unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's brutal war of conquest," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press statement Thursday.
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The meeting comes as NATO members continue to negotiate bilateral agreements with Ukraine in lieu of a timeline for a path to its membership.
"The meeting also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Poland's ascension to NATO and underscores the United States' and Poland's shared ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance, which makes us all safer," Jean-Pierre continued.
The announcement comes at a time when America's relationship -- and its responsibility -- on NATO has been noteworthy because of comments made during the current presidential campaign season.
Donald Trump, the former president and presumed frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the presidency, told a South Carolina rally on Saturday that he would encourage Russia "to do whatever the hell they want," to NATO allies that do not reach the 2% GDP spending goal.
On Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Belgium that he expected 18 out of 31 NATO member states to meet the 2% goal.
On Saturday, the U.S. Senate passed a preliminary $95 billion aid package that includes funds for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel, but still would require approval from the House of Representatives, where Ukraine aid faces opposition from congressional Republicans responding to Trump's sentiments on the issue.
