President Joe Biden is set to consult with allies from NATO's eastern flank in Poland on Tuesday as the Russian invasion of Ukraine edges toward an even more complicated stage.

After paying an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Biden made his way to Warsaw on Monday on a mission to solidify Western unity as both Ukraine and Russia prepare to launch spring offensives. The conflict — the most significant war in Europe since World War II — has already left tens of thousands dead, devastated Ukraine's infrastructure system and damaged the global economy.

"I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about U.S. support for Ukraine in the war," Biden said as he stood with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv before departing for Poland. "The Ukrainian people have stepped up in a way that few people ever have in the past."

Video below: Ukrainians in New Hampshire surprised, happy to see president visit Ukraine

Biden is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and deliver an address from the gardens of Warsaw's Royal Castle on Tuesday, where he's expected to highlight the commitment of the central European country and other allies to Ukraine over the past year. On Wednesday, he'll consult with Duda and other leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of the easternmost members of NATO military alliance.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden would underscore in his Warsaw address that Russian President Vladimir Putin wrongly surmised "that Ukraine would cower and that the West would be divided" when he launched his invasion.

"He got the opposite of that across the board," Sullivan said.

While Biden is looking to use his whirlwind trip to Europe as a moment of affirmation for Ukraine and allies, the White House has also emphasized that there is no clear endgame to the war in the near term and the situation on the ground has become increasingly complex.

The administration on Sunday revealed it has new intelligence suggesting that China, which has remained on the sidelines of the conflict, is now considering sending Moscow lethal aid. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it could become a "serious problem" if Beijing follows through.

Biden and Zelenskyy discussed capabilities that Ukraine needs "to be able to succeed on the battlefield" in the months ahead, Sullivan said. Zelenskyy has been pushing the U.S. and European allies to provide fighter jets and long-range missile systems known as ATACMS — which Biden has declined to provide so far. Sullivan declined to comment on whether there was any movement on the matter during the leaders' talk.

With no end in sight for the war, the anniversary is a critical moment for Biden to try to bolster European unity and reiterate that Putin's invasion was a frontal attack on the post-World War II international order. The White House hopes the president's visit to Kyiv and Warsaw will help bolster American and global resolve.

"It is going to be a long war," said Michal Baranowski, managing director of the German Marshall Fund East. "If we don't have the political leadership and if we don't explain to our societies why this war is critical for their security ... then Ukraine would be in trouble."

Video below: President Biden makes unannounced trip to Ukraine

In the U.S., a poll published last week by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that support for providing Ukraine with weapons and direct economic assistance is softening. And earlier this month, 11 House Republicans introduced what they called the "Ukraine fatigue" resolution urging Biden to end military and financial aid to Ukraine, while pushing Ukraine and Russia to come to a peace agreement.

Biden dismissed the notion of waning American support during his visit to Kyiv.

"For all the disagreement we have in our Congress on some issues, there is significant agreement on support for Ukraine," he said. "It's not just about freedom in Ukraine. … It's about freedom of democracy at large."

Some establishment Republicans say it's now more important than ever for Biden and others in Washington to hammer home why continued backing of Ukraine matters.

"The bottom line for me is this is a war of aggression, war crimes on steroids, on television every day. To turn your back on this leads to more aggression," said Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C. "Putin won't stop in Ukraine. I'm firmly in the camp of it's in our vital national security interest to continue to help Ukraine and I can sell it at home and will continue to sell it."

Former U.S. Ambassador John Herbst, who served as the top diplomat to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, said Biden's White House can do better making the case to a domestic audience that "at minimum keeping Putin bottled up in Ukraine" is in U.S. economic and foreign policy interest and lessens the chance that Russia can turn the conflict into a wider war.

"The smart play is to give Ukraine the substantial assistance to make sure that the Putin problem is solved," said Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. "If this were something laid out clearly from the Oval Office and then repeated constantly by the president, his senior foreign policy and national security team, I don't have any doubt the American public will embrace it."

Video below: Marylanders say prayers for Ukraine is biggest weapon to war

Ahead of the trip, the White House spotlighted Poland's efforts to assist Ukraine. More than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees have settled in Poland since the start of the war and millions more have crossed through Poland on their way to other countries. Poland has also provided Ukraine with $3.8 billion in military and humanitarian aid, according to the White House.

The Biden administration announced last summer that it was establishing a permanent U.S. garrison in Poland, creating an enduring American foothold on NATO's eastern flank.

The U.S. has committed about $113 billion in aid to Ukraine since last year, while European allies have committed tens of billions of dollars more and welcomed millions of Ukrainian refugees who have fled the conflict.

"We built a coalition from the Atlantic to the Pacific," Biden said. "Russia's aim was to wipe Ukraine off the map. Putin's war of conquest is failing."

For the second time in less than a year, Biden will use Warsaw as the backdrop to deliver a major address on the Russian invasion. Last March, he delivered a forceful and highly personal condemnation of Putin at the Royal Castle just weeks after the start of the war.

Duda said Biden's presence on Polish soil as the war's anniversary approaches sends an important signal about the U.S. commitment to European security.

"In Warsaw, the president will deliver a very important address — one that a large part of the world, if not the whole world actually, is waiting for," Duda said.

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Associated Press writers Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Evan Vucci in Kyiv and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.

As tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine, concerns are growing for people who fear for family and friends in Ukraine.

Some are worried about how an invasion will impact their loved ones. A Maryland man whose father is from Ukraine told sister station WBAL how the Ukrainian community in the Baltimore area feels about the situation.

Greg Zilberman, the owner of Silk Road Bistro, said his concerns are growing about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially after President Joe Biden said he is convinced that Russia has decided to invade.

"It's definitely overwhelming to say the least. It's a very uneasy feeling that it brings upon the world. Russia invasion anywhere, any country invading anywhere, there is always the risk of world war," Zilberman said.

The thought of war has Zilberman concerned, like many others in Baltimore's Ukrainian community. His father is from Ukraine and Zilberman said he has a friend there now.

"I'm nervous for him. I'm nervous for everybody there. There's no way that something like this doesn't result in bloodshed, unfortunately," Zilberman said.

Zilberman said the entire situation is complicated and it has many in the Ukrainian community divided.

"Some of them are really big Putin supporters. 'Come on in, we're your people, this isn't an invasion.' The other half, 'Why are you coming into our country? Stay out. Russia isn't big enough?'" he said.

If Russia does invade, he said that many are worried about how it will happen and the impact it will have on people there.

"Are they going to peacefully cross the border? Are they going to kick people from their homes? What kind of temporary government is going to be established?" Zilberman said.

Zilberman said he is closely monitoring the situation every day. He thinks some type of military action is definitely possible, but overall, he is hoping and praying for the best.

"Obviously, a peaceful resolution will be ideal, but it's a conflict like all the others in the world. It's not so black and white, it's a gray area," he said.

Zilberman said the issue has been a hot-button topic for many Ukrainians that come to his restaurant. He said he is hoping things between both countries are solved peacefully.

FAIRFAX, Va. — On a sweltering summer day, the boxes keep coming.

“This has been a really aggressive ramp up, as you can see,” said Kristyn Peck, CEO of Lutheran Social Services - National Capital Area (LSSNCA).

The boxes contain the basic necessities for a new life, which are destined for Afghan allies arriving in the U.S. It’s not the first time Lutheran Social Services – National Capital Area have been called up to do this.

“We've been serving refugees and immigrants since right after World War II,” said Peck.

They are now helping those fleeing a different war, as a part of the nine national social services agencies the U.S. government is working with to help arriving Afghan refugees.

“We are so grateful to be able to be on the front lines of this response. This is why we do our work,” Peck said. “This is why we're here, but it has taken a community effort.”

It hasn’t been easy.

They received 24 hours notice from the government that Afghan refugees would be arriving and needing their help. A scramble for volunteers and donations began.

“It has been pretty overwhelming,” said Regan Brough, stake director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Annandale, Virginia. “Trucks started arriving last Wednesday and they reached out for help saying we need volunteers here now.”

Inside the church basement, among scores of donations, a small staff for LSSNCA works to process the needs of hundreds of government-vetted, incoming Afghan refugees.

“It's feeling a little bit chaotic right now to some of us, but we're happy to be here and happy to open the doors and be on hand,” said Pastor Dan Roschke with Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

In all of last year, Peck said they helped 500 people resettle in the area. Now, they’ve helped settle 500 refugees just this month.

“We didn't have the number of staff we would need to accommodate this level of clients,” Peck said. “And so, we are working with our volunteer network to ensure that we have volunteers who are helping to do home visits, who are helping to bring clients gift cards.”

Crammed into the hallways outside the office, toiletries, cleaning supplies, child car seats, and even vacuum cleaners, are sorted for distribution to the refugees. Every little bit helps they say, to help people who have been through an experience unimaginable to most.

“We hope that they feel welcomed and loved. They have gone through a very traumatic experience,” Brough said. “And right now, they need to know that there are people who care about them and that want them to be well and to help them get started in a new place where they can be well.”

They hope the generosity will extend beyond the short term.

“I hope that this response sustains beyond this initial emergency period and people are reaching out to their new neighbors, knocking on the door: ‘What can I do to help you?” Peck said. “I think that those connections that we have with each other are really critical to foster resilience.”

In addition to gathering donations, finding safe, permanent housing for the refugees is also a big challenge.

If you would like to help in any way, you can click here for the website to LSSNCA and see what donations are still needed. You can also reach out to their national organization, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee service by clicking here.

WASHINGTON —

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President Joe Biden will freeze Donald Trump’s planned withdrawal of some U.S. troops stationed in Germany, the White House said Thursday.

The announcement, from White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, came ahead of Biden’s visit to the State Department. The White House also said the U.S. would end support for Saudi Arabia’s military in the long-running war in Yemen in hopes of stopping one of world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Trump last year, despite congressional resistance, announced plans to redeploy about 9,500 of more than 34,000 U.S. troops from Germany.

Biden's State Department visit is intended to underscore his promise to restore a multilateral approach to U.S. foreign policy and mark his administration’s reengagement with the international community.

“He wants to send a clear message that our national security strategy will lead with diplomacy,” Sullivan told reporters.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, formerly the State Department’s top spokesperson, said Biden’s visit “is largely focused on his desire to thank the men and women who are Foreign Service officers, civil servants, who are the heart and soul of that institution and, frankly, our government.”

Psaki added that Biden would “talk broadly about foreign policy,” but said it wasn’t intended to be his first major foreign policy address as president.

Still, the trip is set to come in conjunction with a number of policy announcements meant to restore the nation's place on the global stage.

During Thursday's visit, officials said, Biden planned to announce that he will increase the cap on the number of refugees allowed into the United States to more than eight times the level at which President Donald Trump's administration left it.

Trump drastically reduced the refugee admissions cap to only 15,000 before he left office. Biden’s plan would raise that number to 125,000, surpassing the ceiling set by President Barack Obama before he left office by 15,000.

The timing of Biden's visit so early in his term is deliberate, as much symbolic as it is a nod to his interest in foreign policy and his years as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he represented Delaware.

Trump had waited more than a year to visit the department, making his first appearance only for the swearing-in of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2018, and repeatedly assailed it as part of a “deep state” out to undermine his administration. Trump denigrated and dismissed its employees and unsuccessfully tried over multiple years to slash its budget by up to 35%.

Biden, by contrast, chose longtime confidant Antony Blinken to be his secretary of state, aiming to reinvigorate an American diplomatic corps that had been depleted and demoralized under four years of the Trump administration.

He will be greeted by employees eager to hear that diplomacy has returned to the top of the presidential agenda and that the expertise of long-serving foreign service officers will be valued. Although Biden’s first nominations and appointments to senior positions at State have trended heavily toward political appointees, the president and Blinken have pledged to promote career staffers.

The State Department visit comes after Biden moved on Wednesday to extend the last remaining treaty limiting Russian and American stockpiles of nuclear weapons, acting just two days before the pact was set to expire. It also follows days after a coup in Myanmar that has emerged as an early proving ground of Biden's approach to multilateralism.

On another major foreign policy issue, Biden is weighing whether to cut off U.S. support that flourished under Trump for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. U.S. aid has been condemned by the international community and has helped contribute to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

At the State Department, Biden may also address asylum claims for residents of Hong Kong there, according to one official. He indicated during his campaign that he was interested in providing protection to people persecuted by the Chinese government.

Officials said Biden would not necessarily override the record low refugee cap of 15,000 that Trump set for the current budget year. Instead, the 125,000 figure would be proposed for the budget year beginning Oct. 1. The president is required by law to first consult Congress on his plans before making a determination.

Advocates had said that the backlog of tens of thousands of refugees left by the Trump administration had made it unlikely Biden’s target of resettling 125,000 refugees could be reached this year. It will take time to rebuild the pipeline. More than one-third of U.S. resettlement offices were forced to close over the past four years with the drop in refugee arrivals and hundreds of workers were let go.

Another issue that may be addressed Thursday is a review of vetting procedures for refugees, according to the officials and others. The Trump administration had put in place extreme background checks that had brought the program to a standstill, advocates say.

The Trump administration also narrowed eligibility this year, restricting which refugees are selected for resettlement to certain categories, including people persecuted because of religion and Iraqis whose assistance to the U.S. put them in danger.

Biden is expected to do away with those categories at some point and have the program return to using the long-standing referral system by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees that makes selections based on a person’s need to be resettled.