Kamala Harris travels to Poland amid controversy over aircraft shipment to Ukraine

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris travels to Warsaw on Wednesday to assess ways to provide "military assistance" to Ukraine, coinciding with the controversy provoked by Poland after offering its fighter jets, the White House said in a statement. 

Harris' trip was planned before Poland surprised the United States on Tuesday by offering its Mig-29 aircraft to Ukraine, which has been overrun by Russian troops since February 24.

The vice president is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, according to U.S. sources.

#9Mar #EEUU
La vicepresidenta #KamalaHarris, se dirige a #Polonia para discutir cómo brindar "asistencia militar" a #Ucrania, horas después que Washington rechazara la oferta de Varsovia de abastecer a territorio ucraniano con aviones de combate. pic.twitter.com/Bz0IBXx2s8

— Reporte Ya (@ReporteYa) March 9, 2022

Harris also plans to travel to Romania to arrange the next steps to respond to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the statement reads.

“They will discuss our continuing support for the people of Ukraine through security, economic, and humanitarian assistance and our determination to impose severe economic consequences on Russia and those complicit in Russia’s invasion,” the text continues.

Both Poland and Romania are increasingly concerned about Russian aggression in the region, especially since they share a border with Ukraine where thousands of refugees have arrived.

The visit to Eastern Europe comes just weeks after Harris traveled to the Munich Security Conference to deliver a message of resolve as Russia massed troops on the Ukrainian border.

The United States on Tuesday rejected Poland's offer to transfer its Russian-made Mig-29 fighter jets to a U.S. base in Germany in order to replenish Ukraine's air force in its defense against Russian troops.