President Joe Biden received a hug from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Kyiv before the first anniversary of Ukraine’s war with Russia on Monday, February 20. Biden landed in Ukraine to speak about the United States’ efforts to aid Ukraine as they defend their democracy. The U.S. president shared another photo of the two of them in front of the capitol building in Kyiv. “One year later, Kyiv stands. Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. America — and the world — stands with Ukraine,” he tweeted.
During his time in Kyiv, Biden announced that the U.S. would send further aid to Ukraine to help defend their country amid the war with Russia. “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,” he said in a statement. “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.”
Biden shared that the U.S. would be giving Zelenskyy and Ukraine anti-armor systems, artillery ammunition, and air surveillance radars. He also announced that new sanctions would be placed for those trying to aid Russia in the battle against Ukraine. He also announced that he’d go to Poland and “continue to rally the world to support the people of Ukraine and the core values of human rights.”
Biden’s trip to Ukraine comes about two months after Zelenskyy met with the president in Washington D.C. before giving his first in-person address to Congress. During a joint press conference, the two men spoke about further efforts for the U.S. to send aid to Ukraine. “What you’re doing what you’ve achieved, it matters, not just to Ukraine, but to the entire world,” Biden said. “Together, I have no doubt it will keep the flame of liberty burning bright and the light will remain and prevail over the darkness.”
The Biden administration has been very openly supportive of Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s efforts to defend themselves from Russia. After the war began at the end of February 2022, Biden announced sanctions and the other ways that the U.S. would offer assistance to Ukraine. First Lady Jill Biden even flew to Ukraine in May nine months before her husband’s trip to show solidarity with Ukraine and their First Lady Olena Zelenska.