Biden Makes Historic Visit to Ukraine – U.S. Resolve Unwavering
By President Joe Biden made a historic, surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday, a show of solidarity and support for a democratic nation battling to survive following the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.[0] His visit to Kyiv was kept secret until his arrival, and despite the presence of air raid sirens, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and even walked the streets in the war zone.[0]
The Kremlin has remained silent about the visit, but some analysts and pundits have suggested that President Biden's historic trip was an unwelcome twist ahead of a speech by Vladimir Putin and other state events set to mark the anniversary of the full-scale invasion.[1]
Biden is expected to deliver remarks from Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday about the war effort and the need for the U.S. and its allies to remain committed to supporting Ukraine.[2] He will emphasize the need for the West, and voters back home, to continue to stand with Ukraine, and he will also discuss the need for both alliances and American leadership on the world stage.[3]
The White House notified Russia of President Biden's secret visit to Ukraine hours before his departure in an attempt to avoid sparking conflict.[4] In addition, Biden is expected to lay out his view of the war in Ukraine as a battle for democracy during his speech, while also noting the costs the war has inflicted on the rest of the world.[4]
Biden's visit is a major sign of American support for Ukraine and marks the first time he has visited the country since the war began.[5] He hopes to demonstrate to Putin and Russia that Western resolve isn’t weakening and also to reiterate his commitment to the security of eastern European allies.[4]
The “Ukrainian question” still hangs out there, largely unanswered.[6] Discussions in Washington, Berlin and Kyiv are consumed by what weapons to send or which extra sanctions to impose, yet some Republicans in Congress have argued there needs to be a more thorough review of the aid the U.S. is providing.[2] Despite this, support for Ukraine has largely been an overwhelmingly bipartisan effort over the past year.[2]
The Russians are preparing a big push, and the Ukrainians need more advanced weapons to push back.[7] Biden's visit is all about determining what weapons the U.S. will let the Ukrainians have, and whether or not he will change his mind on F-16s and long-range missiles. It is clear that the U.S.
0. “Biden sends an unmistakable message with surprise trip to Kyiv” MSNBC, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/biden-sends-unmistakable-message-surprise-trip-kyiv-rcna71489
1. “Biden’s Ukraine trip undercuts Kremlin narrative of waning support in the west” The Guardian, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/20/biden-ukraine-trip-undercuts-kremlin-narrative-of-waning-support-in-the-west
2. “Biden announces $500M in new military aid to Ukraine during surprise visit” The Hill, 20 Feb. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3866266-biden-announces-500m-in-new-military-aid-to-ukraine-during-surprise-visit/
3. “‘One of the decisive moments of his presidency': Biden heads to a troubled Europe” POLITICO, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/19/biden-ukraine-munich-russia-nato-00083540
4. “Biden set for latest symbolic clash with Putin after surprise Ukraine trip” CNN, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/21/politics/joe-biden-poland-trip/index.html
5. “Ukraine updates: Putin’s war plans ‘plain wrong’, says Biden” Al Jazeera English, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/2/20/russia-ukraine-live-russia-suffering-extraordinary-losses
6. “Joe Biden's Simple But Hard ‘Ukrainian Question'” POLITICO, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/21/joe-bidens-ukrainian-zelenskyy-00083683
7. “Stuart Varney: Biden's surprise Ukraine visit could be a ‘game changer'” Fox Business, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/stuart-varney-bidens-surprise-ukraine-visit-game-changer
