How Joe Biden’s secret trip to Ukraine was planned

A few hours before the start of the secret trip that will take him to Kiev, the President of the United States Joe Biden and the first lady Jill went to an Italian restaurant, tasted rigatoni and, in full view of the world, that night on Saturday, February 18, they both returned to the White House to sleep. However, shortly thereafter and in the middle of the night, Biden did a handful of advisers and only two journalists would get on the plane to Poland and then ua by train to Kiev.

The night before, Jill Biden told a group of reporters that she had no idea what her husband was up to, and that on the very day they had that romantic date, he told her he was going to Ukraine. “He told me before he left, and I said, what? Where do you say you’re going?’, Jill recalled in statements to journalists accompanying him on his tour of Africa, which will take him today to Namibia and then to Kenya.

Biden’s trip was the result of preparations that lasted months and involved only a handful of advisers from the White House, the Pentagon and the Secret Service, along with some members of the intelligence services whose mission was to ensure the safety of the president in Kiev.

All these advisors have carefully designed every stage of the journey, incl for Biden to arrive in Kyivand they have outlined other alternative plans in case any problem arises while the president is in the field.

Biden he made his final decision last Friday considering that the risks, although they existed, were predictable. He came to that conclusion after a lively meeting Friday in the Oval Office of the White House with his advisers and members of his cabinet, some of whom participated by phone, said Jonathan Finer, the media’s “number two.” press White House National Security Council.

decide the escort

Once the decision was made, the entire machinery of the United States government was set in motion. One of the most delicate decisions the White House had to make was whether to invite journalists on the trip and how many would be included in the entourage, which would be particularly small so as not to arouse suspicion.

Biden is usually accompanied by a group of about 13 or 14 reporters, photographers and videographers known as swimming pool and who historically has a mission to accompany the President of the United States to any action and tell what they see to thousands of reporters interested in the subject.

This time, however, the White House decided so just a newspaper reporter The Wall Street Journal and agency photographer PER YEAR They would accompany the president.

White House chief of staff Kate Bedingfield called them into her office on Friday and asked them to keep the secret. Soon, he warned them, more travel instructions would arrive in an email with the subject line: “Golf Tournament Directions.”

Plane and train to Kyiv

The journey started on Sunday morning. In the middle of the darkness of the night, the members of the escort arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, not far from Washington. One by one, they boarded the plane, which is used for domestic travel and is smaller than the model the president uses for international travel. The plane had its windows down.

In the middle of the darkness, the plane took off and headed for Poland. He landed a few hours later at Rzeszów Airport in southeastern Poland, and from there Biden drove to Przemysl railway stationwhere took the train to Kyivlater told a journalist from The Wall Street Journal.

Although not all the details are known, the logistics of ensuring Biden’s safety on the train were not easy and as a sign of pride, Ukrainian Railways christened the train in which the president was traveling Rail Force Onereferring to Air Force One After nearly ten hours of train travel, the president finally arrived in Kyiv.

He announced nearly half a billion dollars more in military aid and walked downtown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as air raid sirens blared in a constant reminder of the war that began nearly a year ago on February 24, 2022. “Kiev,” Biden said. before boarding the return train, “I have to admit that you have captured a part of my heart.”