Biden praises Ukrainians

US President Joe Biden lauded the bravery of Ukrainian civilians while speaking to U.S.A troops in Poland, saying they are “stepping up.”

“Ukrainian people have a lot of backbone. They have a lot of guts,” Biden said.

President Joe Biden

“Look at how they’re stepping up… Women, young people standing in the middle of, in the front of a damn tank, just saying ‘I’m not leaving. I’m holding my ground.’ They’re incredible,” he said.

Biden said the world is currently seeing a fight between “democracy and oligarchs.”

“What you’re engaging in is much more than just whether or not you can alleviate people of Ukraine. We’re in a new phase. Your generation, we’re in an inflection point,” he continued.

He thanked the US troops, calling them the “finest fighting force in the history of the world.”

US 82nd Airborne Division in Poland

The President visited US 82nd Airborne Division in Poland

US President Joe Biden is meeting with members of the 82nd Airborne Division in Rzeszów, Poland, alongside U.S.A Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other U.S.A officials.

“This is a big deal for the President to be meeting with these troops. It’s not just a big deal for these soldiers, it’s a big deal because it sends a powerful message of what the US is all about, bolstering this NATO presence in Europe,” CNN’s Wolf Blitzer reported.

Biden will next be receiving a briefing on the humanitarian response to the refugee crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Complicated Flight for polish President

Polish President finally lands in Rzeszów

The plane carrying Polish President Andrzej Duda has landed in Rzeszów, in southeastern Poland, after being forced to make an emergency landing and return to Warsaw earlier on Friday. 

Polish President Andrzej Duda

Duda was traveling from Warsaw to Rzeszów to meet with U.S.A President Joe Biden when the emergency landing occurred. 

“There was an emergency landing of the plane with President Duda; the plane returned to Warsaw,” according to Polish government news agency PAP. 

A White House official also confirmed the emergency landing.

Biden flipped his schedule this morning, meeting first with the members of 82nd Airborne Division and then participating in humanitarian events in Poland, according to pool reporters. The White House said Duda would participate as well if he arrived in time.