Biden Visits Ukraine As Tensions With Russia and China Rise
US President Joe Biden walks alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine during a surprise visit. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
US President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, almost one year after Russia’s expanded invasion against the country was launched.
Biden traveled roughly 10 hours by train from neighboring Poland before reaching Kyiv to discuss the status of the American-Ukrainian partnership. The president was accompanied by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O’Malle Dillon, Director of Oval Office Operations Annie Tomasini, and two journalists. The convoy was in Kyiv for roughly five hours.
While Biden did promise an additional $500 million in military aid, the meeting was primarily symbolic and was intended to underscore America's “unwavering support” for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
The United States continues to be the largest source of direct aid to Ukraine by far, having sent roughly $30 billion in military assistance alone. This exceeds all other countries on earth combined, including all members of the European Union. Throughout the war, the United States has also assisted with tactical training and military intelligence.
Biden’s visit was an astounding embarrassment for the Russian military, causing hawkish Russians such as journalist Sergy Mardan to question his country’s resolve: “Biden in Kiev. Demonstrative humiliation of Russia… I guess there are lunch breaks in a holy war.”
The following day, Russian President Vladamir Putin gave a speech to the Russian Federal Assembly, reiterating in stark terms that blame for the war should be placed on the West.
“The West is using Ukraine as a battering ram against Russia and as a testing range.”
Putin also took the opportunity to deflect imperialism and war crime accusations directed at Russia during the recent Munich Conference by suggesting “this was done so that everyone would forget what the so-called West has been doing over the past decades… According to US experts, almost 900,000 people were killed during wars unleashed by the United States after 2001, and over 38 million became refugees.”
President Putin’s speech to the federal assembly on display to citizens in Sevastopol, Ukraine, the regional capital of Crimea which has been occupied by Russia since 2014. (AP Photo)
Biden’s surprise visit comes just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stoked fears in an interview with CBS News that China is considering sending “lethal aid” to support Russia’s war effort.
Despite major setbacks throughout the year, Russia is reportedly preparing a large-scale spring offensive against Ukraine. The influx of Chinese military support would undeniably bolster Russia’s ability to push through Ukrainian defenses, causing US officials to warn China that such a decision would greatly damage US-Chinese relations.
China has notably denied such allegations and has instead claimed to be working on a peace proposal.
Russia currently controls roughly 16 percent of Ukraine’s territory. This includes the Crimean peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014, as well as parts of Eastern and Southern Ukraine which form a “land bridge” between mainland Russia and Crimea. Some analysts believe that conquering the rest of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in Eastern Ukraine is Russia’s goal for its much anticipated Spring offensive.
Both Russia and Ukraine are deeply entrenched in defensive positions, and large-scale advances for either side appear to be unlikely anytime soon. Many military analysts expect a long and protracted war where gains by either side are small and costly.
The death toll of Russians and Ukrainians has been estimated to have reached over hundreds of thousands. A significant number of civilian casualties have also occurred from Russian air strikes and missile attacks.
Despite growing domestic pressure to promote a peace deal, Biden has affirmed American support for Ukraine. Biden has been mostly successful in rallying America’s western allies in favor of the Ukrainian cause.