Biden surprised Zelensky with a visit

Prior to the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the nation, President Biden paid a surprise visit to Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, on Monday morning.

At the Mariinsky Palace, Biden spoke and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce an additional $500 million in U.S. aid. Howitzer rounds, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars, and other items are part of the new support, but there are no brand-new, cutting-edge weapons.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine a year ago, this is Biden’s first trip there. Biden was supposed to travel to Poland on Monday to commemorate the war’s one-year anniversary, but he chose to travel to the Ukrainian capital instead, taking a nearly 10-hour train ride from the Polish border.

To meet with Zelenskyy and “reaffirm our steadfast and unflinching commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Biden claimed he traveled to the country. He said that when he began his invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin was “dead incorrect” in thinking that country was weak.

“I am meeting with President Zelenskyy and his team for an extended discussion on our support for Ukraine,” Biden said. “I will announce another delivery of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments. And I will share that later this week, we will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine.”

“Over the last year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support – and that support will endure,” he carried on.

While the United States seeks to continue mobilizing the international community to assist Ukraine, Biden also stated that he is looking forward to meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda and the leaders of our Eastern Flank Allies.
He spent almost five hours in the Ukrainian capital before leaving in the early afternoon local time.

As Biden landed in the nation, sirens could be heard in the war-torn Ukraine.
The United States has already provided Ukraine with financial help totaling tens of billions of dollars and military hardware.

During Biden and Zelenskyy’s visit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also unveiled a $5.5 billion aid package for Ukraine.

Prior to Russia stepping up its onslaught once more in recognition of the conflict’s one-year anniversary, Biden’s visit is anticipated. On Friday, February 24, Russia may launch a large barrage of missiles, according to Ukrainian officials.

Despite pressure from the West and casualties on the battlefield, Russia has persisted in its offensive. Waves of assistance from largely Western nations have helped Ukraine defend itself against Moscow’s invasion.

Supporting Ukraine should be a key priority, according to a number of US legislators, but some have challenged choices to keep providing funding without sufficient monitoring. The Biden administration has committed to assist Zelenskyy’s regime for “as long as it takes,” despite House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California saying that Ukraine shouldn’t get a “blank check.”