In Pics: Joe Biden pays surprise visit to Kyiv ahead of Russia-Ukraine war anniversary
Biden’s trip, where he pledged $500 million in military aid to Ukraine, was a brazen rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin who had hoped his military would swiftly overrun Kyiv within days of launching the invasion last year.
Associated Press
February 20, 2023 / 23:00 IST
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US President Joe Biden swept unannounced into Ukraine on February 20 to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant display of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called “a brutal and unjust war” days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
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“One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden declared after meeting Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace. Jabbing his finger for emphasis on his podium, against a backdrop of three flags from each country, he continued: “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance — on top of the more than $50 billion already provided — for shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but no new advanced weaponry. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)
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Biden also met with Olena Zelenska, left, spouse of President Zelenskyy, at Mariinsky Palace. Biden's visit to Kyiv comes at a crucial moment: He is trying to keep allies unified in their support for Ukraine as the war is expected to intensify with spring offensives. Zelenskyy is pressing allies to speed up delivery of promised weapon systems and calling on the West to provide fighter jets — something that Biden has declined to do. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)
Biden spent more than five hours in the Ukrainian capital, consulting with Zelenskyy on next steps, honoring the country’s fallen soldiers and seeing US embassy staff in the besieged country. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
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The White House would not go into specifics of Biden's visit to Kyiv, but National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that it notified Moscow of Biden’s visit to Kyiv shortly before his departure from Washington “for deconfliction purposes” in an effort to avoid any miscalculation that could bring the two nuclear-armed nations into direct conflict. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
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Biden’s mission with his visit to Kyiv, which comes before a scheduled trip to Warsaw, Poland, is to underscore that the United States is prepared to stick with Ukraine “as long as it takes” to repel Russian forces even as public opinion polling suggests that US and allied support for providing weaponry and direct economic assistance has started to soften. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
![“One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden declared after meeting Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace. Jabbing his finger for emphasis on his podium, against a backdrop of three flags from each country, he continued: “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2023/02/AP23051416222261.jpg "“One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden declared after meeting Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace. Jabbing his finger for emphasis on his podium, against a backdrop of three flags from each country, he continued: “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)")
