US president in surprise visit to Kyiv as anniversary of Russian invasion nears
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday welcomed US leader Joe Biden to Kyiv, hailing the surprise visit as a key sigh of support nearly one year after Russia invaded.
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"Joseph Biden, welcome to Kyiv! Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians," Zelensky said on Telegram in English.
"This is an unequivocal signal that Russian attempts to win will have no chance," he said, referring to Biden's visit and new pledges of military support. "Together we will protect our cities, our people from the terror of Russia."
Biden promised increased arms deliveries for Ukraine as well as his "unflagging commitment" to defending Ukraine's territorial integrity.
"I will announce another delivery of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments," Biden was quoted as saying in a White House statement.
Initially, the White House announced that Biden would visit Poland's capital Warsaw from February 20-22. A statement said that Biden "will deliver remarks" on 21 February, "ahead of the one year anniversary of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, addressing how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy, and how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes."
Biden's is scheduled to give his speech on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak in Moscow, three days from the 24 February anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin will intrepret Biden's visit to Kyiv as "further proof that the US has finally bet on Russia's strategic defeat in the war, and that the war itself has irrevocably turned into a war between Russia and the West," according to R.Politik, a Paris-based think tank specialising in Russian politics.
The planned speech in Moscow on Tuesday is "already expected to be very hawkish, aimed at a demonstrative break with the West," according to R.Politik, "but now, there may be additional edits to toughen the rhetoric further."
Well-organised
A year ago, the world looked on in horror as a huge Russian force headed directly towards Ukraine's capital Kyiv for what Moscow planned to be a rapid conquest, leading to capitulation and installation of a pro-Russian regime.
Instead, Biden will be commemorating the partnership between NATO countries and what was to many an unexpectedly well-organised Ukrainian military, which has not only repelled Russian forces from the capital but recaptured swaths of territory.
Biden will touch down in Warsaw on Tuesday and meet Polish President Andrzej Duda. On Wednesday he meets leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of NATO members in eastern Europe, created in 2015 and consisting of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
In addition, Biden will speak by phone next week with the leaders of Britain, France and Italy, the White House said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due in Washington on 3 March.
But Biden's main public event will be the speech delivered Tuesday from Warsaw's Royal Castle, on "how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
"President Biden will make it clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine, for as long as it takes," he told reporters on Friday.
"You'll hear messages in the president's speech that will certainly resonate with the American people, certainly will resonate with our allies and partners, without question resonate with the Polish people," Kirby said.
"And I would expect that you'll hear him messaging Mr. Putin too, as well as the Russian people."
(With newswires)
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