President Biden makes surprise Ukraine visit, signaling strong US support in fight against Russia

LONDON and Kyiv — President Joe Biden paid an unannounced visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday, arriving in Kiev as the United States signaled its continued support ahead of the anniversary of the Russian invasion.

Biden’s visit precedes a planned meeting with NATO allies in Poland. He is scheduled to deliver a speech in the Royal Palace Arcades in Warsaw on Tuesday evening to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.

His remarks in Poland are expected to offer an assessment of international support in the first year of the war, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement earlier this month. He will also address “how we will stand by the people of Ukraine for as long as necessary,” she said.

Biden also plans to meet in Poland with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of eastern NATO allies formed in 2015 in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Ukrainian officials had accused Russia of planning “large-scale nuclear exercises” to coincide with Biden’s visit to Europe.

Biden’s surprise visit comes two months after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s December speech to Congress in Washington. This was Zelenskyy’s first known trip abroad since the invasion began in February 2022.

The Ukrainian leader had asked for more US help to fight Russia, telling lawmakers they could “speed up our victory.”

“Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and democracy that we are dealing with in the most responsible way,” Zelesnkyy said at the time.

Biden approved additional military aid to Ukraine in January, including sending 31 Abrams tanks. These weapons would help Ukraine “achieve its strategic goals,” Biden said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a group of US lawmakers on a similar unannounced visit to the capital Kiev in May 2022.

“Our delegation traveled to Kiev to send an unequivocal and resounding message to the whole world: America stands firm with Ukraine,” she said in a statement at the time.

This is an evolving story. Please check back for updates.