- reporter, James Waterhouse, Alice Cuddy, Catherine Armstrong
- reporter, BBC News
President Biden, ‘Putin’s war of conquest is failing’
On the 20th (local time), US President Joe Biden, who visited Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, without notice, said that the US would “continue to support Ukraine” in the fight once morest Russia.
“The United States is confident that Ukraine will continue to win,” he said.
This is President Biden’s first visit to Ukraine, which took place a few days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.
During the symbolic visit, President Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s idea that Russia might outlast Ukraine and its Western allies was “completely wrong.”
President Biden visited the War Memorial with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It is a space to commemorate the soldiers who died in the past nine years following Russia annexed Crimea and pro-Russian rebels occupied parts of the eastern Donbas region.
Meanwhile, according to a White House statement, President Biden’s visit is aimed at reaffirming the United States’ “unchanging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”
According to the New York Times, President Biden traveled by train for 10 hours from Poland, the neighboring country, to Kiu, the capital.
After visiting Ukraine, President Biden headed back to Poland on the 20th.
Meanwhile, following the president’s visit, US Secretary of State Anthony Blincoln announced a new military aid package worth $450 million (regarding 580 billion won) to Ukraine. The package included a howitzer, HIMARS ammunition, a Javelin (anti-tank missile), and an air surveillance radar.
In addition, Minister Blincoln announced that he would provide additional support of 10 million dollars (regarding 12 billion won) “for the operation and maintenance of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.”
Additionally, new sanctions once morest individuals and corporations “supporting the Russian war machine” will be announced later this week.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky explained, “The results of the meeting (with President Biden) will surely be reflected on the battlefield to liberate our territory.”
In a speech on the night of the 20th, President Zelensky said that it was a “symbolic day” that showed “how important Ukraine is to the world,” and that he had discussed arms support with President Biden, which had not been previously included.
President Zelensky continues to request support for F-16 fighter jets, but the United States and other allies have not approved it.
Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who accompanied President Biden in Ukraine, said that he had notified Russia of this trip for “the purpose of conflict resolution” several hours before President Biden’s departure.
However, it declined to comment on the Russian side’s reaction to this.
A White House official explained that he had been planning a visit to Ukraine “for several months” and that the final decision was made on the 17th.
While President Biden and President Zelensky were visiting St. Michael’s Cathedral in central Kieu, an air raid alarm sounded, further accentuating the dramatic element of the meeting, which has drawn the most public attention since the outbreak of the war.
Air-raid warnings have become routine in Kiiwu.
Several heads of state have visited Ukraine over the past year since the outbreak of the war, but President Biden’s recent move in the capital of a country in the midst of a war in which US troops did not directly participate is interpreted as showing the unity of the West.
Russia claims Western support for Ukraine is waning.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Kiiu also welcomed the visit.
In an interview with the BBC, Roxoliana Zera said, “I am really grateful for President Biden’s support. It means a lot to us,” she said.
“I am grateful for the courage of President Biden, who took the risk and came all the way here to show support from the United States.”
Another citizen, Alexandra Solovyova, said the visit was “an important signal for the whole world”.
“First of all, it shows Russia that the US (still) supports Ukraine and will help us with various sanctions and military equipment support,” the explanation said.
Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff to the President of Ukraine, said the visit was not only historical but also strategic. He added, “A lot of issues are being addressed, and we will be speeding up on those that are deadlocked as well.”
According to the US State Department, the US is one of Ukraine’s biggest allies and has so far announced $24.9 billion in military aid.
Last month, President Biden announced that the United States would support long-range missiles along with 31 tanks.
However, in the U.S. political world, conflict is growing due to differences in views on additional aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Biden, who left Kieu, will stay in Poland for three days and meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and heads of Eastern European member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
