Joe Biden has arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, defying threats of Russian missile attacks, to announce significant additional US weapons supplies, as Ukraine prepares to mark the sombre anniversary of last year’s full-scale Russian invasion.
The US president, closely surrounded by a large security detail, was escorted by his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on a walkabout around central Kyiv as air sirens could be heard, confirming rumours of a visit that had been circulating during the morning.
US President Joe Biden (2nd R) walks next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (3th L) as he arrives for a visit in Kyiv on 20 February 2023. Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
A statement from the White House said Biden was in Kyiv to reaffirm America’s “unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity”.
“When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the west was divided,” the statement said. “He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.”
The White House said Biden will announce another delivery of equipment to Ukraine, including artillery ammunition, anti-armour systems, and air surveillance radars, and that later this week he will announce additional sanctions against companies linked to Russia’s war machine.
His trip came as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss jointly procuring ammunition to provide to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. “It is the most urgent issue. If we fail on that, the result of the war is in danger,” the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said before the meeting.