Officials say Biden's wartime visit to Kyiv was sparked by Zelensky's trip to D.C.


President Biden's clandestine visit to Kyiv on Monday started to come together not long after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Washington, D.C., in late December, two people with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
Biden went to the Ukrainian capital to show solidarity with the country and to bolster the Western alliance that is supporting Ukraine. Administration officials said the American public reacted positively to Zelensky and his address to a joint session of Congress, and this showed the importance of Biden making a similarly major move ahead of the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The stop in Kyiv was arranged by senior members of Biden's national security team, NBC News reports, and was incorporated into a trip to Poland that was publicly announced 10 days ago. "Discussions about possibly going have been underway for months and really accelerated in recent weeks," a senior administration official said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It was understood by everyone involved that it wasn't possible to guarantee Biden's safety in a war zone where the U.S. is not an active partner, and one official told NBC News that many "intense" conversations were had about security measures. Just a few hours before Biden left for Ukraine, a phone call was made to Russia to let them know he was on his way, for "deconfliction" purposes, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Monday. The trip "required a security, operational, and logistical effort from professionals across the U.S. government to take what was an inherently risky undertaking and make it a manageable level of risk," he added. "But, of course, there was still risk and is still risk in an endeavor like this."
Biden did not fly into Ukraine; he got on a train at the Polish border, and embarked on a 10-hour journey to Kyiv. While Biden could have chosen to visit another city closer to the border, he wanted to go to Kyiv to show that it is still standing and wasn't easily toppled by Russia, a person familiar with the matter told NBC News. Zelensky praised Biden for coming to Kyiv, tweeting that his visit is "Historic. Timely. Brave. ... I am thankful to the U.S. for standing with Ukraine and for our strong partnership. We are determined to work together to ensure Ukraine's victory."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'The way AI is discussed makes it seem like this is a necessary outcome'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
The New York Times plays defense after publishing leaked Mamdani college application details
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The decision to publish details of Zohran Mamdani's Columbia University application has reignited simmering questions about sourcing and editorial guidelines
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration