White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday that President Joe Biden plans to travel to Brussels next week to meet with world leaders to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Psaki’s announcement confirmed speculation earlier in the week that Biden was in the early stages of planning a trip to Europe.

Psaki confirmed that Biden will take part in a NATO summit scheduled for March 24, during which NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said leaders will discuss the war in Ukraine and strengthening the allies’ defenses.  She added during a White House press briefing that the President “will also join a scheduled European Council summit to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including trans-Atlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges related to the conflict” and that Biden prefers “face-to-face diplomacy” with the United States’ European allies.  Psaki declined to comment on whether Biden plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his trip to Europe.

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