US President Joe Biden paid a visit to Ukraine to address the current situation in the country. This marks the first Ukraine visit for Joe Biden as the President. One of the primary objectives of this visit was to solidify Ukraine’s position in its war against Russia and to highlight the western support for Ukraine, which has backed the country in the war. During the visit, President Biden met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as both visited the memorial of Ukrainian soldiers. President Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is extremely wrong if he thinks that he can stand against Ukraine and its western allies. The statement carries significant value for the Ukrainians who are in dire need of support. Especially when its invasion by Russian forces is on the verge of its one-year mark.
Russia has significantly increased its offensive moves since the start of this year, constantly putting Ukrainian forces under pressure. Because of constant pressure from Russian forces, the Ukrainian forces are getting overwhelmed in many regions because of a lack of resources. Amid all these, Russia has been constantly entering Ukrainian airspace and dropping missiles on residential areas. Ukrainian forces are underprepared to fend off Russian fighter planes, as the country is still using decades-old fighter jets which cannot stand against modern aircraft. Because of this, President Zelensky has requested fighter jet support from its allies such as the US, Germany, France, the UK, etc. Most of the countries have denied providing such support to Ukraine as it is bound to consume lots of resources and time to deliver fighter jets and then train the Ukrainian soldiers to operate them.
President Biden’s surprise visit has sparked many assumptions though regarding where the US stands in the Russia-Ukraine war. His visit to Ukraine during such tough times suggests that the US is supporting Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as stated by the White House. Although it was a secret meeting, Russia was informed regarding this visit because of deconfliction purposes, which are followed to avoid mistaken attacks by the armed forces of any country. President Biden traveled to Kyiv by a 10-hour long train from Poland. He used the same mode to return to Poland after his visit. President Biden assured Ukrainian President Zelensky that the US will stand with Ukraine as long as it takes.
Later after his visit, Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, announced funding of $450 million as security assistance. Along with this, he also announced that the US will be delivering howitzer ammunitions, Javelin missiles, the Himars rocket system, and air surveillance systems which will assist Ukraine in addressing the Russian airstrikes. This help will indeed push the morale of Ukrainian soldiers further. Furthermore, the US announced additional funding of $10 million for emergencies to assist in the maintenance of the energy supply in Ukraine. Secretary Blinken also said that new sanctions will be announced later this week against companies and personnel supporting the Russian war machines. However, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of Russia’s foreign ministry, said that those who are leaning on Americans for help will only fail.
