On Monday, US President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine to reaffirm Washington’s “unwavering and unflagging commitment” toward Kyiv, days ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine’s first anniversary.
Biden Meets Zelensky
In a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Biden declared, “One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. America stands with you, and the world stands with you.”
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.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 20, 2023
Zelensky called Biden’s visit “a significant moment of support for Ukraine.” The Ukrainian president spoke with Biden about the situation on the frontline and discussed “What [Ukrainians] have to do to stop the war, to succeed in this war, to make Ukraine even stronger, and how to gain victory this year.”
Biden Commits Another $500 million
During a meeting, Biden pledged another $500 million in military assistance to Ukraine, including artillery ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), howitzers, Javelins, anti-armour systems, and air surveillance radars.
He also stated that the US would announce additional sanctions “against elites and companies that are trying to evade sanctions and backfill Russia’s war machine” later this week.
Today in Kyiv, President Biden announced a new delivery of critical equipment for Ukraine.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 20, 2023
This package includes artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments. pic.twitter.com/ThHG6I4uOx
Biden Slams Putin
In the joint press conference on Monday, Biden noted that Russia’s aim to “wipe Ukraine off the map” had failed.
Slamming his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Biden said, “Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. […] He was counting on the inability to keep NATO united,” adding, “He thought he could outlast us.”
He went on to point out that “Putin’s war of conquest is failing” with Russia having “lost half its territory it once occupied” in Ukraine and the Russian economy being “now a backwater, isolated and struggling.”
Biden’s Top-Secret Kyiv Visit
Biden’s Ukraine travel plans were shrouded in secrecy, with only a few officials of the White House and the Pentagon in the know.
Acknowledging that the visit’s modalities were difficult to work out, as it was the first time that a sitting American President was visiting a war zone with no American control over the said zone’s critical infrastructure. Biden was the first President to visit Ukraine since 2008.
In order to show US’ support for Ukraine at this “critical” time, Biden first flew out to Germany’s Ramstein Air Base to refuel the Air Force One, before landing in Poland. Thereafter, he took a 10-hour train journey from Poland’s Przemyśl Główny train station on the Ukrainian border to the Kyiv-Pasazhyrsky station, where US Ambassador Bridget Brink welcomed him.
Historic. Timely. Brave. I welcomed @POTUS in Kyiv as Russian full-scale aggression approaches its one-year mark. I am thankful to the U.S. for standing with Ukraine and for our strong partnership. We are determined to work together to ensure Ukraine’s victory. pic.twitter.com/EPtH3fLWWD
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 20, 2023
During Biden’s train journey, US fighter jets were seen in Polish airspace, but none entered Ukrainian airspace.
US Informed Russia about the Visit
During a teleconference with the media on Monday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan revealed that Russia was informed about Biden’s imminent visit to Kyiv “some hours before his departure for de-confliction purposes.”
White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan claims that this was for deconfliction purposes
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) February 20, 2023
Russian lawmakers and media outlets had previously made veiled threats against Biden if he visited Kyiv, so this underscores the endurance of a narrow US-Russia backchannel
To this end, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev confirmed that Biden had received security guarantees from Moscow before travelling to Kyiv.