Biden pays ‘surprise visit’ to Ukraine, promises $500m in aid

US President Joe Biden has made a surprise visit to Ukraine — his first trip to the country since Russia’s invasion began nearly one year ago.

Biden’s trip on Monday to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, comes after multiple invitations from the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky had travelled to Washington in December to meet Biden and speak to a joint session of congress. It was also his first trip outside Ukraine since the war began.

Biden said his trip to Ukraine was proof of America’s “unwavering” commitment to helping Ukraine win the war support against Russia.

He announced a half-billion dollars of additional assistance from the US, adding that his administration would announce a fresh wave of sanctions against Russia soon.

“As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Biden said.

“When 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. One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands.

“Today, in Kyiv, I am meeting with President Zelenskyy and his team for an extended discussion on our support for Ukraine.

“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.

“And I will share that later this week, we will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine.”

On his part, Zelensky said negotiations between him and Biden were a major boost to Ukraine.

He described Biden’s surprise visit as the most important in the “history of the Ukraine-US relationship”.

“This conversation brings us closer to victory,” Zelensky said

“The results of this visit will surely be seen, and will surely have repercussions on the battlefield in liberating our territories.

“Ukrainians remember the focus, attention, the attitude that President Biden and the US have given to Ukraine. I thank you for this level of US-Ukraine cooperation.”

Meanwhile, Biden’s visit comes as Wang Yi, China’s foreign policy adviser, travelled to Russia.

While relations between the US and China have continued to deteriorate — most recently due to traded accusations of an air space breach via suspected spy balloons — China and Russia remain close since their leaders declared a “no-limits” friendship a year ago.