President Biden made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Monday in a show of solidarity with Ukraine several days ahead of the anniversary of Russia's invasion of the country.
Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and announced an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. aid, demonstrating America's commitment to helping Ukraine fight back against Russia. "One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands," Biden said.
The president reportedly left Washington, D.C., early Sunday morning with a few journalists who were "sworn to secrecy," according to The New York Times. An American official confirmed that Biden landed in Poland and crossed into Ukraine by train as it is currently unsafe to land directly in the country. Russia was also notified of Biden's visit to Kyiv "for deconfliction purposes," U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
His stop in Ukraine came ahead of a publicly scheduled two-day trip to Poland. Biden has vowed to support Kyiv "as long as it takes," and made supporting Ukraine central to his push for revitalizing the Western defense alliance in Europe.