President Joe Biden made a shock and historic go to to war-torn Ukraine on Monday, a present of help and solidarity with a democratic nation battling for its survival after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded nearly a year ago.
The go to, together with a gathering with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was saved beneath tight secrecy till Biden’s arrival.
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“I’m in Kyiv at this time to fulfill with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging dedication to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Biden mentioned in an announcement.
“When Putin launched his invasion practically one 12 months in the past, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he may outlast us. However he was useless improper.”
The clandestine nature of the journey factors to the hazards of America’s commander-in-chief visiting Ukraine amid persevering with bombardment, with Russia firing missiles into the nation hoping to interrupt an deadlock because the battle enters its second 12 months. Air raid sirens sounded whereas Biden was on the bottom.
It’s the first time in trendy historical past {that a} US president has entered a battle zone the place there may be not an lively American navy presence.
Biden’s look in Ukraine is a robust assertion that the US stands with Zelenskyy regardless of rising stress at residence to downsize American assist.
“Joseph Biden, welcome to Kyiv!” Zelenskyy posted on the social media web site Telegram together with an image of the 2 leaders. “Your go to is a particularly essential signal of help for all Ukrainians.”
But the dangers are big. Different presidents have visited battle zones. Barack Obama traveled to Afghanistan in 2014 and George W. Bush visited American troops in Iraq in 2003. As was the case with Biden, each traveled beneath strict secrecy.
White Home officers had been adamant that Warsaw, Poland, could be Biden’s solely cease. On Friday, a White Home spokesman answered with a single phrase when requested if Biden supposed to cross the border into neighboring Ukraine: “No.”
Now, the opponent is Russia. If Russian President Vladimir Putin’s navy had been to deliberately goal Biden, and even inadvertently hurt the president by the use of an errant missile, the US could be obliged to retaliate. That might doubtlessly escalate a regional battle right into a direct battle between two nuclear-armed nations.
Nonetheless, forward of the journey, some analysts had been hopeful that Poland wouldn’t be Biden’s solely cease. A visit to Ukraine “could be a robust demonstration of help and sign a strong change in coverage — a extra forward-leaning and fulsome method to Ukrainian help,” mentioned Alexander Vindman, former director of European affairs within the Donald Trump White Home’s Nationwide Safety Council.
Biden has invested appreciable political, navy and monetary capital within the battle, conserving overmatched Ukraine viable in opposition to bigger Russian forces. Along with American help, he has additionally pressed the remainder of the NATO alliance to shore up Ukraine, arguing that it’s crucial for the democratic world to counter Russian aggression for 2 causes. One is to discourage Putin from widening the battle into NATO nations; one other to discourage China’s authoritarian authorities from launching its personal assaults on smaller nations akin to Taiwan.
The US has additionally begun to sound warnings that the Chinese language are offering navy help to the Russian effort and cautioned the nation in opposition to offering deadly assist.
China has supplied some broader assist to Russia, together with parroting Russian disinformation and selling Russia’s false pretexts for the battle. However US officers say the Chinese language at the moment are offering extra tangible help for Russian troops in Ukraine. The Chinese language have previously denied offering navy help.
Biden and Zelenskyy met in December in Washington, DC, when the Ukrainian president traveled to the US capital and delivered an deal with to a joint session of Congress. Zelenskyy has solely sparingly left his nation because the invasion.
With combating choosing up, Zelenskyy has been urgent Washington for extra superior fighter jets. Thus far, Biden has refused out of concern that the F-16 planes may escalate the battle.
In January, Biden introduced that the US would ship 31 Abrams tanks, which he was initially reluctant to do. The US can even present coaching for the tanks.
Biden can also be going through cross-pressures from conservative Republicans, who imagine the US has already given sufficient cash and arms to Ukraine and may now press for a peace deal.
The quantity of American navy help to Ukraine is nearing $30 billion. Polling exhibits that American help for Ukraine stays robust, though much less in order time passes. In Could 2022 — three months into the battle — 60 p.c of People favored supplying weapons to Ukraine.
As of January, that quantity had slipped to 48 p.c, in response to an Related Press-NORC Heart for Public Affairs Analysis ballot launched final week.
The proportion of adults who favored sending taxpayer cash on to Ukraine dropped seven share factors in that time-frame — from 44 p.c to 37 p.c.
The battle has stretched on longer than most within the West anticipated, with preliminary estimates that Ukraine would have the ability to hold on just for a couple of weeks earlier than the Russians seized Kyiv, ousted Zelenskyy and absorbed the nation into its orbit. As a substitute, Ukraine proved to be a extra resilient opponent than anticipated.
A battle that was anticipated to finish shortly with Ukraine’s give up and Zelenskyy’s exile will attain its one-year anniversary on Friday.
