‘Kyiv has captured a part of my heart’: Biden lands in war-torn Ukraine ahead of war anniversary I LIVE

US President Joe Biden with his Ukrainian counterpart
Image Source : AP/File US President Joe Biden with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky

Kyiv: In a major development, air raid sirens sounded in Ukraine’s capital after US President Joe Biden arrived in the war-torn nation on Monday, February 20. Notably, this is the first US President’s visit to Ukraine since the last war. Year. The surprise visit comes days before Russia marked one year since the country launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During a press conference, Biden said, “One year later, Kiev stands, Ukraine stands, and democracy stands. America and the world stand with you. Kiev has captured a part of my heart.”

In a series of tweets, President Biden said, “As we mark the anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I look forward to meeting with President Zelensky today and reaffirming our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity.” I am in Kiev for

Furthermore, in a later post, Biden lambasted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, saying Moscow had underestimated Ukraine and that he would have thought it would not continue its brutal assault.

Biden said, “When Putin launched his offensive about a year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outrun us. But he was wrong.”

Zelensky welcomed his American counterpart

Later, he said the United States would defend the war-torn nation’s sovereignty and said his administration had built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to empower Kiev. “Over the past year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support — and that support will continue,” he said. On Instagram, Zelensky welcomed his American counterpart and wrote, “Joseph Biden, welcome to Kiev! Your visit is an extremely important gesture of support for all Ukrainians.”

Biden assures maximum support to Zelensky

Addressing a conference in Kiev, President Biden recalled the day his Ukrainian counterpart demanded an immediate supply of lethal weapons to him. Biden said, “President Zelensky called me minutes after Putin launched an unprecedented war against his country. He urged me to supply him with the most advanced weapons to defend his country.” He added, “I assured him of our full support to Ukraine. In addition, I also assured him that our other European allies would help Zelensky at the time of his trial.”

During the presser, President Biden underlined that Ukraine was vulnerable when Moscow raided, however, he said that Zelensky led his country in a very strong way. In addition, Biden said that Russia is now facing an unprecedented economic crisis as hundreds of multinational companies have either been forced to leave the country or have been banned.

Biden said, “Putin’s war victories are failing. Russia’s military has lost half its territory once captured. Young, talented Russians are fleeing Russia because they see no future in the country.” . The Russian economy is isolated and struggling.”

“We will announce $500 million in aid to Ukraine. This will include spearguns, howitzers and artillery ammunition. Later, we will announce additional sanctions against companies that try to support Russia,” he said. Have been.”

US President’s first visit

The much-anticipated visit comes nearly a month after the war-torn President visited the Pentagon, where he urged the Biden administration to extend maximum support to protect his country from Russian attacks.

Early last year, Biden traveled to Poland, Ukraine’s closest neighbor, but avoided visiting the war-torn country because of security concerns.

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