Joe Biden shares a slice of pizza with troops

U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Rzeszów, Poland, on Friday to get a firsthand look at international efforts to help some of the millions of Ukrainian refugees fleeing war in their country. His first stop was to meet soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division stationed in the area of Rzeszów airport as part of NATO's protection of the alliance's eastern flank.

Biden stopped by the base’s mess, where he chatted, took selfies and shared White House-provided pizza with servicemen and servicewomen. "Thank you very much for all you do," he said, describing them as the "finest fighting force in the history of the world".

Shaking hands with soldiers in the base barbershop, the commander-in-chief asked their names and cracked jokes. "You must be here for a second time," Biden joked to a soldier with a crew cut.

The 82nd is one of the U.S. Army’s high readiness units, capable of deploying anywhere in the world with as little as 18 hours notice. 3,000 of the division’s paratroopers were moved to Poland in February as tensions built up ahead of the outbreak of fighting in neighbouring Ukraine.