Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine amid the first anniversary of their war with Russia
Key takeaways:
- US President Joe Biden has reached Kyiv – his first visit to Ukraine since Russia raided nearly a year back.
US President Joe Biden has made a surprise visit to Kyiv – his first to Ukraine since Russia attacked almost a year back.
Joe Biden meets President Zelensky in Kyiv in his surprise visit:
It comes as the anniversary of Russia’s attack comes on 24 February. Biden said the United States would be with Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and lauded their “brave” fighting.
He is due to start a three-day trip to Poland later today. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels will discuss how to ensure Ukrainian forces have enough bullets.
And Russian forces have supported “very high losses” in their attack on the eastern town of Vuhledar, according to UK intelligence.
Biden pledges ‘unwavering’ support for Ukraine:
In a message, US President Biden said his visit to Kyiv would “reaffirm our persistent and tireless dedication to Ukraine’s democracy, freedom, and territorial integrity”.
Also read: China to supply arms and ammunition to Russia?
“When Putin launched his attack about one year ago, he thought Ukraine was frail, and the West was split. He thought he could outlast us. But he was quite wrong,” he spoke.
How Biden’s visit to Ukraine was kept a secret:
Biden’s secret visit to Ukraine was made via train from the border of Poland, the New York Times says.
The trip to Kyiv stayed a secret because of security matters. Reports even say that Biden left Washington without notice after he and his partner Jill had a rare dinner at a restaurant on Saturday evening.
Details of US $500m arms and ammunition promise:
The extra artillery ammunition includes more rockets for HIMARS, the wheeled and highly transportable multiple-launch rocket systems that have proved so helpful on the battlefield already.
They fire precision-guided GMLRS munitions and are correct to within several metres at ranges of up to 50 miles (80km).
