President Biden lands in Kiev for a surprise visit to the war-torn country ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s bloody invasion and announces $500 million in new weapons
- Biden said: “One year later, Kiev is standing. And Ukraine stands. democracy stands.’
- The US President made a surprise visit ahead of the planned trip to Warsaw, Poland
- He said he was sending another $500 million in military aid
Joe Biden paid a surprise visit to Kiev on Monday, days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
His visit was shrouded in secrecy and he arrived with a slimmed-down travel pool of just two reporters.
Air raid sirens wailed over the Ukrainian capital despite no reports of Russian missile or air strikes.
He met with President Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace and announced half a billion dollars in additional aid, including artillery, ammunition, more spears and howitzers, and more sanctions against Russia.
Biden said: “One year later, Kiev is standing. And Ukraine stands. democracy stands.’
US President Joe Biden is pictured walking around with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev this morning during his surprise visit
Welcoming Biden in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said: “Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians.”
The President was due to leave Washington on Monday night for a two-day visit to Poland, where he will meet Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw to discuss a possible increase in US troops there.
In its official guidance, the White House said it would leave by 7 p.m. Monday night.
Instead, he made a secret flight to see the conflict with his own eyes.
Welcoming Biden in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said: “Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians.”
He also said they were talking about new “long-range weapons and the weapons that may still be delivered to Ukraine even though they weren’t delivered before.”
However, he did not name any new commitments.
Biden said: “As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and express our unwavering and tireless commitment to democracy, sovereignty and territorial… to reaffirm the integrity of Ukraine.
“When Putin launched his invasion almost a year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West divided. He thought he could outlive us. But he was absolutely wrong.”
He said he will spend the day talking about how best to help Ukraine in its struggle.
Biden was scheduled to leave Washington at 7 p.m. Monday. Instead, he slipped out Sunday night, jettisoning most of his traveling pool of reporters to meet with Zelensky on Monday
“I will announce another shipment of critical equipment including artillery ammunition, anti-tank systems and air surveillance radars to protect the Ukrainian people from air strikes,” he said. ‘
“And I’ll share that later this week, we’ll be announcing additional sanctions against elites and corporations trying to circumvent or augment Russia’s war machine.”
The war has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions from their homes and reduced a number of cities in southern and eastern Ukraine to rubble.
Aid from the US, its allies and partners is credited with assisting the stubborn Ukrainian resistance in defending its territories.
The US alone has sent more than $100 billion in weapons and supplies to the country, of which the Pentagon spent $62.3 billion last year on weapons and ammunition, as well as on training, logistics and salaries.
Nevertheless, little has changed on the huge front line in recent months. Now both sides are preparing for offensives that are expected in the spring.