US President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv and met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, declaring “unwavering support” in a dramatic show of solidarity as Russia’s invasion nears the one-year mark.
(Bloomberg) — US President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv and met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, declaring “unwavering support” in a dramatic show of solidarity as Russia’s invasion nears the one-year mark.
Biden, who was originally slated to visit neighboring Poland this week, appeared in the Ukrainian capital at 8 a.m. on Monday as police sealed off main streets and an air alarm sounded — an every-day occurrence in cities hammered by Russian air strikes since President Vladimir Putin sent tanks across the border on Feb. 24, 2022. There were no immediate reports of any missile launches or explosions.
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“One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden said after meeting Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena, outside of the president’s residence, known as Mariinsky Palace. “I’m here to show our unwavering support for the nation’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Biden’s roughly five-hour visit comes as Ukraine’s main allies debate how to support Ukraine in what they now understand will be a long war. The US, European countries and other allies have already poured cash and weapons into the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people and driven about a third of Ukraine’s pre-war 41 million population from their homes.
Wearing a blue suit and a striped tie in the colors of Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag, Biden said he will pledge another $500 million in aid “today or tomorrow.” The package will include artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars, Biden said.
The US will also announce additional sanctions later this week against people and companies that are trying to evade sanctions and “back the Russian war machine,” he added.
“Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,” said Biden, who like other Western leaders arrived in Kyiv by train, for safety reasons. “He thought he could outlast us. I don’t think he’s thinking that right now. God knows what he’s thinking but I don’t think he’s thinking that. He’s been plain wrong.”
The US was one of the few countries that had warned ahead of time that Russia would invade Ukraine.
Months of Planning
Biden aides, who briefed reporters on Monday, hailed the trip as historic, saying it’s unprecedented in modern times to have the US president visit a war zone where the US military doesn’t control critical infrastructure.
Biden’s traveling party was extremely small and consisted of a few aides, a photographer and a small medical team, as well as two journalists and security personnel. The visit was meticulously planned in secret over months, with the president only making the final decision to go on Friday when he huddled in the Oval Office to hear from key advisers.
The White House notified Moscow of Biden’s trip a few hours before his departure, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. He declined to say how the Russians responded.
Biden has been scheduled to visit Poland but White House aides for the past week insisted no stop in Ukraine was planned, despite his proximity to the country.
Biden has already departed Kyiv for Poland, where he will meet Polish President Andrzej Duda and other allies from NATO’s eastern flank, according to the White House. Officials declined to provide more details on the logistics of Biden’s travels until it is safe to do so.
This is the first time the US president has traveled to Ukraine since Putin’s invasion, and he’s one of the last major allies to do so after many of Biden’s Group of Seven counterparts visited Kyiv over the past year. The last US president to visit Ukraine was George W. Bush in 2008.
More Weapons
Sullivan said that Biden and Zelenskiy held an extended discussion on “all aspects” of the war, including Ukraine’s need for energy, economic and humanitarian assistance, as well as an upcoming United Nations General Assembly session on Ukraine.
The visit comes as Zelenskiy is pressuring allies for additional weapons and underscoring the need to deliver them quickly. Ukraine’s military is facing stepped-up attacks from Russian forces in the east, where pitched battles have ratcheted up the death toll in Europe’s biggest open conflict since World War II.
Zelenskiy said he and Biden discussed the issue of long-range weapons, but gave no further details.
“Mister President I know that a large package of military support is expected, and right now such a package is a clear signal that Russia’s attempts at revenge will have no chances,” Zelenskiy, wearing his signature military-style sweatshirt, olive pants and khaki boots, said in a speech.
Putin is due to address the federal assembly of Russian lawmakers and top officials on Tuesday. It’s also the anniversary of his decision to recognize the independence of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, triggering the slide toward his full-scale invasion days later.
The Russian president may also meet with Wang Yi, China’s state councilor, when he visits Moscow this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Tass. Wang is stopping in Russia after tense talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich over the weekend.
The White House is warning Beijing against providing lethal aid to Russia after US officials revealed concerns about intelligence that China is considering doing so. Officials have not said what the consequences would be for Beijing but that they consider it a red line that must not be crossed.
–With assistance from Iain Rogers and Daryna Krasnolutska.
(Updates with new details throughout)
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