President Joe Biden got an update on the startling developments on the ground in Ukraine Saturday as he attended a meeting with Ukrainian's foreign and defense minister at a time when Moscow is redefining its war aims.
Biden was joined by Secaretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, hours after a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded more 'bravery' from NATO allies who are arming Ukraine.
'The [NATO] Alliance is taking decisions as if there [were] no war,' Andriy Yermak told Atlantic Council.
In Warsaw, Biden met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov hours after the Kremlin announced it had concluded the first 'phase' of its invasion of Ukraine.
That raised the possibility Moscow was coming to grips with its failure to achieve its goals after rushing tanks and troops to try to encircle key Ukrainian cities.
Russia now says it will focus on the Donbas region.
President Joe Biden participates in a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, second from left, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov in Warsaw
Zelensky aide Andriy Yermak asked for more 'bravery' from NATO allies
Biden and the Ukrainians made small talk while reporters were in the room, talking about travel and sleep.
Biden shared his own experience: 'You're looking at a fella who's traveled over a million 200,000 miles'
'I learned how to sleep,' he said.
The president, while a senator, commuted daily between his home in Wilmington and Washington D.C. via Amtrak. Also as chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as vice president, Biden traveled abroad extensively.
Biden spent about 30 minutes in the meeting, which was not originally on his schedule, before heading to a sit down with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Biden last met with Kuleba on Feb. 22 in Washington – two days before Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his brutal invasion.
Ukraine is the main subject of Biden's meetings in Poland
The Russians are claiming thier invasion has moved past its first stage.
'The main tasks of the first stage of the operation have been carried out,' said Sergei Rudskoy, head of the Russian General Staff administration on Friday.
'The combat capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces have been substantially reduced, which allows us to concentrate our main efforts on achieving the main goal: the liberation of Donbas,' he added – referring to territory seized by Russia in 2014 that is mostly controlled by pro-Moscow sepratists.
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