[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] "Putin has failed. One year after the outbreak of war, Kyiv still stands. Ukraine still stands. Democracy still stands."
On the 20th (local time), just before the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. His actions are interpreted as a 'warning' to Russian President Vladimir Putin. By reaffirming that the United States and other Western countries will continue strong support for Ukraine despite the prolonged war, Biden effectively pressured President Putin to back down. He also unveiled a new $500 million (approximately 640 billion KRW) military aid package for Ukraine and announced plans for additional sanctions against Russia.
◆Biden Visits Ukraine Ahead of One-Year Anniversary of War Outbreak
President Biden visited Kyiv without prior notice to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and promised additional military support. This is the first time a U.S. president has set foot on Ukrainian soil since Russia's invasion on February 24 last year. It is also a reciprocal visit about two months after President Zelensky visited the U.S. in December last year for a bilateral summit.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Biden secretly departed Andrews Air Force Base at 4:15 a.m. Eastern Time on the 19th. He arrived in Ukraine around 8 a.m. local time. Wearing a blue and yellow diagonal striped tie symbolizing the Ukrainian flag, President Biden was greeted by President Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv.
At the meeting, President Biden emphasized, "Putin's war of conquest is failing," highlighting that Putin's belief that Ukraine is weak and the West is divided is completely wrong. He added, "We stand here together." President Zelensky expressed gratitude, saying, "Your visit is a very important signal of support to the Ukrainian people," and called it "a historic moment for our country." He also mentioned that the first call he made on the night Russia invaded Ukraine last year was to the United States. In response, President Biden recalled, "You said you could hear explosions behind you. I have never forgotten that. The world is about to change."
During the meeting, President Biden presented a new $500 million military aid plan. The package includes additional equipment such as shells, anti-armor systems, and air defense radars to counter Russian missile strikes. Detailed information will be released in the coming days. Biden also confirmed that additional sanctions against Russia will be announced within this week. He reiterated unwavering support, stating, "I thought it was important that there be no doubt about America's support for Ukraine in this war."
The Kyiv visit lasted just over five hours. Separately released footage showed President Biden walking through downtown Kyiv with President Zelensky. When they visited near St. Michael's Cathedral in the capital, air raid sirens sounded.
In a statement released upon leaving Kyiv, President Biden said, "Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine is about to mark its first anniversary," and "Today, meeting with President Zelensky in Kyiv, I reaffirmed our unwavering and unyielding commitment to Ukraine's democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity." He also emphasized, "Over the past year, the United States has built an unprecedented coalition for military, economic, and humanitarian support with countries from the Atlantic to the Pacific," and "This support will continue."
President Biden is also scheduled to meet with allied leaders, including Polish President Andrzej Duda, in Poland. In a speech in Warsaw, he will deliver a message that the U.S. will stand with Ukraine as long as necessary.
◆Conducted in Strict Secrecy... Russia Notified Hours Before
President Biden's visit to Ukraine was conducted in strict secrecy. Prior to Biden's trip to Poland, the White House repeatedly denied the possibility of a visit to Ukraine, a neighboring country, stating, "There are currently no plans."
Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, said in a video briefing immediately after Biden's departure for Ukraine, "President Biden's visit to Kyiv is historic and unprecedented." He explained that no U.S. president in modern times has visited the capital of a country at war where U.S. forces do not control key infrastructure.
Sullivan added, "President Biden believed it was important to take the risk and visit. He wanted to send a clear and unmistakable message about America's continued support for Ukraine." Kate Bedingfield, White House Communications Director, also emphasized, "From President Biden's perspective, today's visit was a bold and powerful act. It is an incredibly strong message demonstrating President Biden's commitment to Ukraine."
The Biden administration prepared this schedule months in advance with a very small group from the National Security Council, the Executive Office, the Department of Defense, and intelligence agencies. To avoid conflict with Russia, Sullivan confirmed that Russia was notified of Biden's visit just hours before departure. However, he did not disclose Russia's response due to the sensitivity of the communication.
Russian state media immediately reacted with opposition upon learning of Biden's surprise visit. The Russian state-run RIA Novosti claimed that Biden's visit proves that the West is waging a 'proxy war' against Russia. Sergey Mardan, a journalist known as a 'mouthpiece' for President Putin, also described the visit on Telegram as "a blatant humiliation from Russia's perspective."
◆"A Message to Putin"
This visit is interpreted as the U.S. leading the declaration of strong Western support for Ukraine amid concerns about the prolonged war. With additional Western weapons support such as tanks, the impact on the future course of the war is inevitably significant. It is also a message directed at President Putin, who is scheduled to deliver a State of the Nation address in Moscow the following day.
WSJ analyzed, "Putin is expected to continue the war in Ukraine until Western countries lose patience and stop support. In this context, the U.S. sent a message that it will firmly support Ukraine even if it takes years." Dmitry Zadumin, a Ukrainian, welcomed the visit, calling it "a message to Putin" and told WSJ, "Ukrainians are not alone in this war."
The visit is also expected to strengthen solidarity among Western allies who have supported Ukraine. On the same day, France announced it would send AMX-10 RC light tanks to Ukraine within a week. Amid analyses that war fatigue is growing, this move is expected to preemptively prevent potential fractures within the Western camp and reinforce unity. For President Biden, this Kyiv visit can also serve as an opportunity to highlight the necessity of supporting Ukraine within the United States. According to an AP-NORC survey of American adults, public support for providing weapons to Ukraine has weakened from 60% in May to 48% recently.
Before President Biden, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Ukraine in April last year; French President Emmanuel Macron, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited in June last year. Current British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also visited Kyiv in November last year.
Meanwhile, Wang Yi, the top Chinese diplomat and member of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau, is also scheduled to visit Russia. Wang is expected to meet with President Putin and discuss Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia. Earlier, the United States and the European Union (EU) warned of "strong consequences" regarding the possibility of China's arms support to Russia, which could become another variable in the Ukraine war.
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