President Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, early Monday morning in a show of support for the war-torn country. The visit comes on the eve of the anniversary of Russia launching the war.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with his American counterpart and the two were seen walking through the streets of Kyiv as air-raid sirens blared in the background.
“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,” Biden said in a statement after his arrival.
Biden promised a new half-billion dollar package of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars. A fresh round of sanctions against Russia will be announced later in the week. “Elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine” will be targeted, the White House said.
Biden’s planned trip to Poland afforded him the opportunity to make the detour. An American official confirmed to the New York Times that Biden had crossed the border by train as flying into a war zone is unsafe. He will travel back to Poland and deliver a speech in Warsaw celebrating Ukraine’s heroic efforts and the West’s collective support.
“Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden said at Mariinsky Palace, the gilded ceremonial home of the Ukrainian president.
Zelensky, in turn, thanked Biden for his appearance during such a pivotal moment.
The war in Ukraine has settled into a war of attrition for the two sides, following large-scale Russian and Ukrainian offensives in the preceding twelve months. The spring is expected to initiate a new stage in the war, with both sides attempting to take the upper hand.
Zelensky’s own trips abroad have seen him plead with Western leaders for more support. After his Christmas trip to Washington, Congress approved nearly $50 billion in additional emergency aid for Ukraine.
One month later, in January, a coalition of Western nations decided to pledge tanks to Ukraine, in what was seen as a major breakthrough. But for now, Biden and other leaders continue to resist Ukraine’s calls for fighter jets.