Biden makes secret visit to Kyiv to reaffirm US commitment to Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine — President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in a gesture of solidarity days before the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country.

Biden gave a speech and met with Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace to announce an additional half a billion dollars in US aid and reassure Ukraine of American and allied support as the conflict continues.

“A year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine is standing. Democracy stands,” Biden said.

The visit to Ukraine comes at a defining moment in the war as Biden hopes to keep the Allies united in their support for Ukraine as the war is expected to escalate as both sides prepare for spring offensives. Zelensky is demanding that allies expedite the delivery of promised weapons systems and urging the West to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine — something Biden has so far refused.

Biden’s mission during his visit to Kiev and then Warsaw is to emphasize that the United States is willing to stay on Ukraine’s side “for as long as it takes” to fight back against Russian forces, even though public opinion polls opinions show that the US and its allies support the provision of weapons and direct economic assistance has begun to soften. For Zelensky, the symbolism of the U.S. president standing side by side on Ukrainian soil as the anniversary approaches is no small feat, as it pushes American and European allies to provide more advanced weapons and speed up delivery.

The visit also gives Biden a chance to see firsthand the devastation the Russian invasion has inflicted on Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainian servicemen and civilians were killed, millions of refugees fled the war, and Ukraine suffered tens of billions of dollars worth of infrastructure damage.

The trip also marks an act of defiance against Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hoped his army would quickly capture Kyiv within days. A year later, the Ukrainian capital stands and a semblance of normalcy has returned to the city as fighting has centered in the country’s east, accompanied by cruise missile and drone strikes against military and civilian infrastructure.

Biden also experienced first-hand the terror that Ukrainians have lived with for almost a year, when air raid sirens wailed over the capital just as he and Zelenskiy were exiting the cathedral they had visited together. With a solemn air, they continued to stand calmly in front of the wall in honor of the Ukrainian soldiers who had died since 2014.

Although Western anti-aircraft missile systems have bolstered Ukraine’s defenses, the visit was a rare occasion when a US president was in a conflict zone where the US or its allies did not control the airspace. It was not immediately clear whether the US had given advance notice of the trip to Moscow to avoid any miscalculation that could lead to direct conflict between the two nuclear powers.

The US military has no presence in Ukraine other than a small detachment of Marines guarding the embassy in Kiev, making Biden’s visit more challenging than other recent visits by previous US leaders to war zones.

Rumors have circulated for weeks that Biden would pay a visit to Ukraine around February 24, the anniversary of the Russian invasion. But the White House has repeatedly said that a presidential visit to Ukraine is not planned, even after a visit to Poland was announced earlier this month.

At the White House, planning for Biden’s visit to Kyiv was carefully held back – a relatively small group of aides were informed of the plans – for security reasons.

Asked by a reporter Friday if Biden could include stops outside of Poland, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby replied, “Right now the trip will be to Warsaw.” Moments later—and without prompting—Kirby added, “I said right now.” The trip will be to — to Warsaw. I didn’t want it to sound like I was hinting at changing it.

Biden took off quietly from Joint Base Andrews near Washington shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, stopping at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany before heading to Ukraine.

Other Western leaders have been coming to Kyiv since the beginning of the war.

In June, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and then-Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi traveled together by night train to Kyiv to meet with Zelensky. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Kyiv in November shortly after taking office.

This is Biden’s first visit to a war zone as president. His recent predecessors, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush, made surprise visits to Afghanistan and Iraq during their presidencies to meet with US troops and leaders from those countries.

Madhani and Miller reported from Washington.