{"id":235447,"date":"2023-02-21T12:01:56","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T10:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=235447"},"modified":"2023-02-21T12:01:59","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T10:01:59","slug":"day-362","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/day-362","title":{"rendered":"Day 362: Biden makes surprise visit to Kyiv"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Biden in surprise visit to Ukraine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, <\/strong>February 20, U.S. President Joe Biden began his trip to Europe with a surprise and symbolic visit to Kyiv. Biden visited Ukraine for the first time since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden was scheduled to leave Washington on Monday and arrive in Warsaw on Tuesday morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday morning, streets throughout the center of Kyiv and around the U.S. Embassy were closed amid extraordinary security measures. A convoy of vehicles was spotted on closed-off roads, causing a speculation on social media over a possible visit of a high-level U.S. official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around midday, Biden\u2019s visit was publicly confirmed. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. In downtown Kyiv, they paid tribute to the fallen Ukrainian soldiers as air raid sirens blared. In Kyiv, Biden announced plans for a new assistance package to Ukraine. The presidents held one-on-one talks, and were later joined by the delegations. Biden spent five hours in Kyiv. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First visit to Ukraine by a serving U.S. leader since 2008<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2008, George W. Bush visited Kyiv. Neither Barack Obama, nor Donald Trump paid a visit to Ukraine. Mr. Bush\u2019s father, President George H.W. Bush, visited Ukraine just before the country declared independence in 1991. President Clinton visited Ukraine in June 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House earlier said that Biden will only visit Poland between February 20 and 22. Biden\u2019s aides have earlier explored attempting to covertly get Biden across the border in Ukraine but a trip has been all but ruled out, Politico said. He left Washington much earlier than officially reported. He arrived in Kyiv by train from Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Kyiv, Biden reaffirms support, pledges more weapons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On a surprise trip to Kyiv, Biden announced plans to send an additional USD 500 million in U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. The forthcoming announcement, Biden said, includes artillery ammunition, more anti-armor systems and air surveillance radars. \u201cOne year later, Kyiv stands. Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. America \u2014 and the world \u2014 stands with Ukraine,\u201d the U.S. President said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden said his trip was to reaffirm the US\u2019 \u201cunwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine\u2019s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity\u201d. \u201cWhen 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,\u201d Biden said in a statement. \u201cOver the last year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support \u2013 and that support will endure,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results of visit to be reflected on battlefield. Kyiv and Washington share same vision of prospects in war, Zelenskyi says<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the first visit over 15 years,\u201d Ukrainian President Zelenskyi said during a joint press conference with U.S. President Biden. \u201cThis is really the most important visit for the whole history of the Ukraine-U.S. relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zelenskyi said he spoke with Biden about \u201clong-range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn\u2019t supplied before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUkraine is expecting a major package of military aid. It\u2019s a clear signal that Russia\u2019s attempts of relaunch will have no chance,\u201d Zelenskyi added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe share the same vision of the future and prospects in the war,\u201d the Ukrainian President told a joint news conference with Biden. \u201cWe also share the same vision for a lot of points of the peace formula. It is of critical importance to restore justice. The aggressor should be held to account and compensate the losses [caused by the war],\u201d Zelenskyi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine urges U.S. to sanction Russia\u2019s nuclear industry<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine brought up a conversation about the sanctions on Russia\u2019s nuclear sector and representatives of Rosatom, Ukraine\u2019s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA historic visit to Kyiv by a U.S. delegation led by U.S. President Joe Biden. That\u2019s a strong signal of support to the Ukrainian people. During an expanded meeting between Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyi, we brought to the table a conversation on sanctions against Russia\u2019s nuclear sector and representatives of Rosatom,\u201d Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russians go hysterical at Biden\u2019s surprise visit to Ukraine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s surprise visit to Kyiv caught the Kremlin mouthpieces by surprise. They did not have any prepared scripts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guests on a televised political show engaged in a violent verbal confrontation as they discussed Biden\u2019s trip to the Ukrainian capital. Russia had possibly given the U.S. some kind of \u201csecurity guarantees\u201d, one of the \u201cexperts\u201d on the show said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kremlin propagandist, TV host Olga Skabeyeva made furious remarks, pointing to missing security guarantees to Putin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Podcast Explaining Ukraine. Ukraine: history has come back | Ep. 192<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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