Joe Biden visited Kiev on Monday for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022.
As we approach the anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I'm in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 20, 2023
Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky and announced another $500 million in aid to Ukraine. The new package will include more military equipment. Zelensky added that the agreement would also include long-range weapons and new weaponry not previously supplied.
Biden's visit comes at a key moment in the conflict, on the eve of the first anniversary of the conflict and ahead of Russia's expected launch of a new offensive. Due to this, the United States and other Western countries have accelerated the shipment of weapons, tanks, and ammunition to Ukraine in the hope of preventing a Russian victory. President Biden expressed how proud he is of Ukraine's resistance to the invasion:
When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 20, 2023
President Joe Biden will travel to Europe this week coinciding with the anniversary of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. He will publically declare that the United States will support Kiev until the end of the conflict. Originally, he planned to start his trip in Poland, but Biden eventually changed his schedule to visit Ukraine first.
Joe Biden, the President of the United States 🇺🇸 is in Kyiv! pic.twitter.com/pIcHYk5A1B
— Maria Drutska 🇺🇦 (@maria_drutska) February 20, 2023
After he visits Ukraine, Joe Biden will resume his original agenda by visiting Poland, as confirmed by the White House in a statement released on Monday.
