US President, Joe Biden will travel to Poland on Friday as part of his diplomatic efforts surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the White House has said.

Poland shares a border with Ukraine and has seen an increase in number of  refugees since the forces of Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine last month. 

Poland, a NATO member will host Biden this week after Biden travels to Europe on Wednesday, March 23 and then to meet in Brussels, Belgium, with members of NATO and the European Union. 

But the white House has kick-backed against suggestions that Biden will visit Ukraine itself.

“He will hold a bilateral meeting with President Andrzej Duda,” A statement from press secretary Jen Psaki indicated.

 “The President will discuss how the United States, alongside our Allies and partners, is responding to the humanitarian and human rights crisis that Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine has created.”

“The trip will be focused on continuing to rally the world in support of the Ukrainian people and against President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” 

Poland was conquered in 1939 by Germany and the former Soviet Union. After World War II, the victorious Soviets dominated Poland until the conclusion of the Cold War in 1989. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Poland joined NATO in 1999.