After a morning of rumors and speculation, it is now official: The American president is in place in Kyiv.
Biden was scheduled to go to Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda and other Eastern European allies this week.
The unannounced visit takes place in connection with February 24 being one year since Russia invaded Ukraine.
– One year later, Kyiv is still standing. Ukraine still stands. Democracy still stands, Biden said during the visit, according to the Associated Press.
HUG: Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyh gave each other a hug in front of the cameras in Kyiv. Photo: DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP / NTB
Biden thus becomes the first US president to visit Ukraine since 2008.
– As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am visiting Kyiv to meet with President Zelensky and to emphasize our unwavering support for Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty and territorial independence, Biden said in a statement.
Flight alarm
According to the Financial Times, Biden must have traveled the night of Monday, and arrived in Kyiv via train in the morning hours. Photos from the capital show Biden visiting St. Michael’s Monastery with his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
There were rumors on Monday morning that Joe Biden was in Ukraine. Several things also indicated that something was going on in Kyiv:
International press was given a limited opportunity to use mobile phones during a time window, and was banned from filming and taking pictures in an area of Kyiv. One of the main streets was blocked off, stated TV 2’s journalist in Ukraine.
On Monday morning, the anti-aircraft sirens went off throughout Ukraine, including Kyiv. It is unclear what triggered these. Biden and Zelenskyj were at St. Michael’s monastery under the open sky when the air traffic alert went off.
Promise more help
In connection with the visit, Biden has promised a new package of military aid to Ukraine. It should include, among other things, artillery ammunition and air surveillance radars. The aid package will have a value of 500 million dollars, writes the Reuters news agency.
Zelenskyj says the two heads of state also discussed long-range weapons during the meetings between them.
In a statement, Biden also announces a new package of sanctions against companies that help Russia with its warfare in Ukraine.
