President Biden of the United States visited Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, where Russia's military invasion continues, without prior notice and met with President Zelensky.
It is a form that emphasizes the unwavering support of the United States before one year from the start of the invasion.
On the 20th, President Biden of the United States visited Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, for the first time since Russia's military invasion began in February last year, and met with President Zelensky.
At the meeting, President Biden said, ``I came here to show my unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.'' He also announced substantial additional military aid and announced new sanctions soon.
The U.S. government announced in advance that President Biden would depart from an air force base on the outskirts of Washington on the 20th and visit Poland, but in reality he secretly departed on the 19th of the previous day and entered Ukraine without notice. rice field.
According to senior Biden administration officials, only a small number of officials in the administration spent months preparing carefully, and only a minimal number of personnel, including his aides and a medical team, attended.
Although the details of the means of transportation have not been clarified, the New York Times, a leading American newspaper, said that after President Biden arrived in neighboring Poland, he crossed the border by train and took about 10 hours to Kyiv. said to have moved to
President Biden confirmed his unity by visiting Ukraine, where fighting continues, before the 24th of this month will be a year since the start of the invasion, and emphasized both inside and outside that the United States' support is unwavering.
Kyiv citizens welcome President Biden's visit and look forward to further support
When President Biden of the United States visited Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, without prior notice, the citizens of Kyiv welcomed the visit and expected further support from the United States.
Of these, an 18-year-old man said, "The US President's support for Ukraine is important to us. We have been waiting for his visit since the beginning of the war. What will become important in the future is the supply of weapons, and this time it will be important. I think this visit will ensure that."
A woman in her 50s said, "The president's visit is proof that the United States will not abandon Ukraine. We expect fighter planes to be provided."
A woman in her 20s said, "U.S. support is the guarantee that Ukraine will win this war. This visit will have a great impact on the front lines. Today is a memorable day."
EU welcomes US President's visit to Ukraine
High Representative Borrell, who is the foreign minister of the EU = European Union, held a press conference after the EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Belgium on the 20th, and commented on the visit of President Biden of the United States to Ukraine, saying, "The unity of Europe and the United States and Ukraine together. It clearly demonstrates our determination to continue to support
The EU also indicated its intention to discuss specific measures at the defense ministers' meeting to be held next month so that ammunition can be promptly provided as military assistance to Ukraine.
In addition, it is expected that each country will agree on additional sanctions against Russia, including export bans totaling 11 billion euros and exceeding 1.5 trillion yen in Japanese yen, by the 24th of this month, one year after the military invasion. I was.
In chronological order of President Biden's visit to Kyiv...
According to the US government's prior announcement, President Biden will depart from an air force base outside Washington, D.C., at 7:00 pm Eastern time on the 20th and head for Poland.
However, in fact, the presidential plane "Air Force One" carrying President Biden was leaving the air force base at 4:15 am on the 19th of the previous day.
A very small number of media outlets, including leading American newspapers, were allowed to accompany the visit, but the US government took great care not to leak the visit in advance, as the means of communication had also been recovered. It seems.
The U.S. government has not disclosed how President Biden traveled to Kyiv, but the New York Times, a leading U.S. newspaper, cites a government official as saying that after arriving in neighboring Poland, he crossed the border by train. It is reported that it took about 10 hours to move to Kyiv.
According to the accompanying media, President Biden entered Kyiv at 8:00 am local time on the 20th and arrived at the palace where President Zelensky and his wife Olena waited after 8:30 am.
After meeting with President Zelensky and making a joint announcement, President Biden left the palace at 11:19 am and visited the cathedral in the center of Kyiv.
Accompanied by President Zelensky on the visit, the two walked to the cathedral and then to the wall in memory of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers to lay a wreath.
At 11:40 am, I left the country by car and arrived at the US Embassy in Kyiv around noon.
After spending 46 minutes at the embassy, President Biden got back in his car and left Kyiv by 2pm.
According to the Associated Press, President Biden spent more than five hours in Kyiv.
After this, President Biden is expected to visit Poland and hold a meeting with President Duda and others as originally planned.