The Ukraine crisis is bringing Joe Biden to Europe – so what can we expect?

A show of western unity is the simple answer – but beyond that things will be more difficult, writes Chris Stevenson

Joe Biden at the White House (AP)

When Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the US Congress on Wednesday he called on Joe Biden do all he can for Kyiv and Ukraine.

“Today, it is not enough to be the leader of the nation,” Zelensky said. “Today it takes to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”

The pressure will grow on Biden this week as he heads to Europe to take part in a Nato summit in Brussels on Thursday, as well as a meeting of the European Council – although he won’t be the only western leader in that regard. So what will happen?

A show of western unity is a given, and the easiest thing to achieve. Meanwhile, officials will already be discussing the possible announcements that could be made at the Nato summit. Although any chance of a no-fly zone or Nato-led troops on the ground in Ukraine appears remote, thanks to the White House and a number of other nations wary that such an intervention could cause an escalation to world war. More defensive weaponry could be sent to Ukraine, and it is likely there will be some kind of announcement around increased sanctions on the Russian banking sector or more oligarchs.

Biden could also agree to scale up US troop deployments to Nato members that make up the eastern edge of the alliance – with a number of nations pushing for the US to reaffirm its commitment to collective defence in a meaningful way at the summit. The White House will want to offer allies something, but has left the form this will take open-ended for now.

In a letter sent to Biden on Friday, seen by Politico, members of both the Democrats and Republicans who form the Senate Nato Observer Group have called on the president to commend those nations who have committed to increasing defence spending in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, and asked that Nato consider "all options" in helping Ukraine, and also called for the alliance to “bolster” its eastern flank.

Will these measures stop the bloodshed? However unlikely, it is that question that Biden and the rest of Nato will have to find an answer to at some point.