President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reaffirm his “unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity” amid the conflict with Russia.
Biden’s unannounced visit came amid the sounding of air raid sirens as he pledged an additional half a billion dollars in U.S. assistance. His trip to Ukraine’s capital comes less than a week before this Friday’s one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 20, 2023
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Biden, in comments alongside Zelensky, reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine, and he noted triumphantly that Kyiv remains standing nearly a year into a war Russian President Vladimir Putin and others thought would only last a matter of weeks.
“When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,” Biden said of his trip. “He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.”
Biden also announced a $500 million military aid package that will include artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars, though he did not mention a number of weapons the Ukrainians have requested that the U.S. has so far declined to provide.
He also previewed additional sanctions against Russian “elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine.”
Biden visited the Mariinsky Palace, the presidential palace in Kyiv.
“One year later, Kyiv stands, and Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden said during his meeting with Zelensky. “The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”
Biden also visited Mykhailivska Square to honor Ukraine’s fallen defenders.
⚡️⚡️⚡️Exclusive footage of US President Joe #Biden in #Kyiv on Mykhailivska Square
To the sounds of air raids, Biden honored the fallen defenders of #Ukraine.#UkraineWar #Ukraina #Ukrainian #UkraineRussiaWar️ #UkrainianArmy #UkraineRussianWar️ pic.twitter.com/oZrAHrVoh5
— ??UkraineNewsLive?? (@UkraineNewsLive) February 20, 2023
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Biden is next expected to visit Poland, where he will meet with leaders from NATO’s eastern flank to discuss recent developments in the war.
Senior administration officials described the trip as one of significance and stressed the complexities of such a visit, in part due to contested airspace. In order to ensure a catastrophic incident didn’t occur, the U.S. informed the Russian government preemptively of Biden’s travel.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that Russia was told “some hours before his departure for deconfliction purposes,” though he declined to specify how Russian officials responded to the news.
