Biden Makes Surprise Visit to Kyiv... Meets Zelensky, Pledges to Preserve Ukraine (Comprehensive)

Promise of Military Support to Ukraine
Also Mentions Additional Sanctions on Companies Supporting Russia

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] U.S. President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on the 20th (local time) and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to promise additional military support.

According to The New York Times (NYT), President Biden secretly left Washington after having dinner with his family over the past weekend and took a train from the Polish border, arriving in Ukraine at 8 a.m. He greeted President Zelensky and his wife before holding a meeting with President Zelensky.

At the meeting, President Biden announced a new military aid package worth $500 million (640 billion KRW) for Ukraine. He stated that “it will include many military equipment such as shells and anti-tank missiles.”

President Biden said, “It has been one year since the war broke out, but Kyiv stands, Ukraine stands, and democracy stands,” adding, “The United States will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” expressing his support.

President Zelensky responded to Biden’s visit by calling it “an important signal of support for Ukraine.”

The White House issued a statement coinciding with Biden’s visit to Kyiv, saying, “As the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, today in Kyiv, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in a meeting with President Zelensky.”

In the statement, President Biden pointed out, “When Putin launched the invasion a year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and Western countries were divided. But he was completely wrong.”

He added, “We will announce the delivery of equipment including shells, anti-armor systems, and air defense radars to protect the Ukrainian people from bombardment. Also, later this week, we will announce additional sanctions against companies supporting Russian military supplies.”

This visit marks President Biden’s first trip to Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

On the 21st, he is scheduled to hold talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, a neighboring country, and deliver a speech on responding to the invasion of Ukraine.