Vice President Kamala Harris left Wednesday for Eastern Europe in her most high-profile deployment yet as the White House tries to burnish her foreign policy credentials for a potential 2024 run.
Ms. Harris is visiting Poland and Romania to show solidarity with the two U.S. allies, which are assisting Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters its third week.
The trip got off to a tense start after Poland surprised the Pentagon with its plan to provide Ukraine with Soviet-era fighter jets. U.S. officials were caught off guard by the move, which they opposed because it increases the risk of a direct conflict with Moscow.
Poland’s offer was not discussed with U.S. officials or raised with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent trip to the country.
The unusual public spat will test Ms. Harris’ foreign policy skills, which could set her apart from other candidates in a presidential run. Ms. Harris is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination if President Biden decides not to seek a second term.
“She’s taken these hot potatoes abroad and handled them,” said Cathy Allen, a Democratic Party strategist. “It shows trust from the president because it’s the last thing he’s going to delegate and boosts her position as someone who calls the shots worldwide. If you are going to run for president, it isn’t bad to have all that in your pocket.”
Others say the trip, which an administration official described as critical, comes with risks for a foreign policy neophyte. Ms. Harris, a former prosecutor, has focused on domestic issues such as criminal justice reform during her political career.
Christy Setzer, a Democratic Party strategist, described the trip as “a high-risk, high-reward situation” where it is tough for a leader to shine.
“One could read it as her wanting to gain foreign policy cred now, before 2024, on an issue on which Americans are momentarily united. But there’s a lot of downside to being the face of this as well,” she said. “The situation is precarious and changing by the minute. And she could soon find herself the face of an unwinnable, protracted engagement that Americans no longer support.”
A Morning Consult/Politico poll found that 31% of Democratic primary voters would support Ms. Harris if Mr. Biden doesn’t run for reelection. That is nearly three times the support of the runner-up, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
In addition to smoothing over the dispute with Poland, Ms. Harris is tasked with assuring NATO allies and the Ukrainian people that the U.S. has their back, a senior administration official said.
Ms. Harris is scheduled to meet Thursday with Polish President Andrzej Duda. She will meet with refugees who fled Ukraine and American diplomats who fled the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv for Warsaw.
Then she will travel to Romania, another country where refugees have been arriving by the thousands.
It is Ms. Harris’ third trip to Europe as vice president. Last month, she led the American delegation to the Munich Security Conference, a high-profile gathering with big stakes for the Biden administration. It was held before Russia invaded Ukraine.
In November, Ms. Harris traveled to France and Germany for four days of meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She discussed Europe’s migrant crisis with the leaders.
Last summer, Ms. Harris traveled to Latin America, where she pushed back against Republicans who said the Biden administration wasn’t tough enough on illegal immigration.
Ms. Allen said serving as the face of the administration boosts Ms. Harris’ political aspirations.
“The message is that the president trusts her with the most important missions in foreign policy,” she said. “She’s trusted to speak on behalf of the American people.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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