President Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv on Monday morning on a surprise days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and declared that Vladimir Putin had failed in his ‘war of conquest.’
His visit was shrouded in secrecy. He arrived after the hourslong train journey from Poland with a stripped down press pool of just one reporter and a photographer.
Air raid sirens blared across the besieged Ukrainian capital although there were no reports of Russian missile or air strikes.
He met with President Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace and announced half a billion dollars in extra assistance, including artillery, ammunition, more Javelins and Howitzers, as well as more sanctions on Russia to follow.
In a speech, Biden said: ‘One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands.’
He said Putin had miscalculated.
‘Russia’s aim was to wipe Ukraine off the map,’ he said. ‘Putin’s war of conquest is failing. Russia’s military has lost half the territory it…
