Biden announces new arms deliveries to Ukraine in surprise visit to kyiv

The president of USA, Joe Bidenreiterated hisunwavering” support to Ukraine on Monday in a surprise visit to kyiv in which he promised new arms deliveries to the Ukrainians, just days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The American leader reached the Ukrainian capital with the greatest secrecy: the White House did not reveal by what means he got there, although all Western leaders do so by train through Poland.

LOOK HERE: Russia was notified by the United States about Biden’s visit to Ukraine “hours before”, says adviser

However, according to Washington, Russia was warned of Biden’s visit several hours before”in order to avoid conflicts”, according to the national security adviser, Jale Sullivan.

At a press conference with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr ZelenskyBiden said that he will deliver 500 million dollars of supplementary aid and that the details will be announced in the coming days.

“I think it is essential that there is no question of US support for Ukraine”, stressed the president.

This is the first visit of Joe Biden the country at war since Russian troops invaded it on February 24, 2022.

Kiev urgently needs long-range ammunition for its artillery and tanks to face a new Russian offensive, as well as to recapture the territories occupied by Moscow in the east and south of the country.

Zelensky welcomed the long-awaited delivery of US Abrams tanks, announced a few weeks ago after long discussions, and insisted on the need to obtain ammunition with a range of more than 100 kilometers. Washington has promised to send them, but the quantity and delivery schedule are still uncertain.

“More than heroic”

The president of Ukraine said on social media that the visit from his American counterpart was “an extremely important sign of support to all Ukrainians”. “This conversation (with Biden) brings us closer to victoryZelensky assured.

Anti-aircraft sirens resounded in kyiv during Biden’s visit, AFP journalists found.

For Oksana Shylo50 years old, Biden’s visit is proof that “the americans are clearly and irrevocably on our side”.

“It is a good sign for the Ukrainian people, for the victory of Ukraine”, agreed Vladyslav Denysenko27 years old.

The two leaders placed a floral offering on Monday at the wall of remembrance for the fallen heroes of the Russo-Ukrainian war, with a military anthem in the background and in the presence of uniformed Ukrainian officers.

MORE INFORMATION: Biden announces $500 million in additional aid to Ukraine in kyiv

The Ukrainian president welcomed the presence of his US counterpart and declared that both wanted to discuss “how to win (the war) this year”.

Joe Biden expressed his admiration for the resilience of the Ukrainians in the face of the invader. “It’s more than heroic“, he claimed.

The American leader insisted that “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war of conquest is failing and that he was wrong to believe that Ukraine was weak and that the West was divided”.

“End the current war”

Ukraine is experiencing an intensification of fighting in the east of the country, where Russia hopes to regain the initiative after suffering serious setbacks in the fall.

During the visit, Biden also promised to impose more sanctions on Russia. But the statistics published this Monday suggest that the Russian economy is resisting more than expected.

The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 2.1% in 2022, according to Rosstat. In September, the government had forecast a contraction of 2.9%.

The visit occurs after Washington will accuse Beijing of considering sending arms to Russia.

“Is USA and not China the one that non-stop sends arms shipments to the battlefield”, defended the spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin.

The head of Chinese diplomacy, wang yivisited several European capitals in recent days.

From Hungaryinsisted that China is willing to cooperate with Budapest and “other countries” for “end the current war” in Ukraine.

“We want the parties to return to the negotiating table”, he stressed, according to an official translation.

ALSO SEE: Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine and meets with President Zelensky

It is planned that Vladimir Putin deliver his big annual speech to Russia’s political elite on Tuesday, an event expected to be largely devoted to the war in Ukraine.

Biden concluded his visit to kyiv shortly after noon and arrived in Poland on Monday by train from Ukraine, the Polish news agency PAP reported.

Arrived at the train station in the city of przemyslin southeastern Poland, after 8:30 p.m. local time (7:30 p.m. GMT), according to PAP.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.