By Oyintari Ben
President Joe Biden paid a spectacular, unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday to show the United States’ strong support for Ukraine only four days before the anniversary of Russia’s total invasion.
The high-risk visit to a Ukrainian capital threatened by missile assaults shows that the United States, which has provided the most financial and military support for Ukraine’s campaign to drive Russian invaders from its land, is still committed to the cause.
Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were seen together in front of St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery. A short while afterwards, the city’s air raid siren sounded. The Ukrainian capital was under strict security lockdown, with all vehicular traffic suspended and several streets even off-limits to pedestrians.
Despite waning public support in the United States and the lack of immediate hope of peace talks to end the crisis, Biden has insisted that the United States continue to help Ukraine for “as long as it takes.”
Several foreign leaders have travelled to Kyiv in the past year to meet with Zelensky and tour the war-torn city. First Lady Jill Biden paid an unexpected visit to Western Ukraine on Mother’s Day in May. However, Biden has remained away out of security concerns and worries about a potential nuclear conflict between the two largest nuclear powers in the world, sending top advisers in his stead.
His visit was kept under wraps. On Monday night, Biden is scheduled to fly from Washington to Poland for an official visit.
