Not quite the “valley of Death,” but still
“Someone who needs a lot of security appears to be visiting Kyiv…..” tweeted Anne Applebaum just before 4 a.m. ET.
Associated Press about 7:10 a.m. (Note: The spelling of Zelensky’s name varies with news outlet):
President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a striking gesture of solidarity that comes days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country.
Biden spent more than five hours in the Ukrainian capital, meeting Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace, honoring the country’s fallen soldiers and meeting with U.S. embassy staff in the war-torn country. In his remarks with Zelenskyy, Biden recalled the fears nearly a year ago that Russia’s invasion forces might quickly take city. “One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden said, jamming his finger for emphasis on his podium decorated with the U.S. and Ukrainian flags. “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”
The Washington Post’s landing page: “The high-risk visit to Kyiv signaled continued commitment from the United States, the largest financial and military backer of Ukraine’s effort to repel Russian invaders from its territory.”
Amidst air raid sirens no less.
“American presidents have gone to war zones in the past,” reports NBC’s Richard Engel, “but generally when they went to Iraq or Afghanistan, they were going to places that had a large U.S. military presence, often just staying on military bases. That didn’t happen today.”
The New York Times reports that Biden made a nearly 10-hour train trip from the border with Poland to pledge “unwavering support” to Ukraine and meet with Zelensky.
Further details are sketchy. Biden has left Kyiv but has not yet arrived back in Poland (as of 8:08 a.m. ET). NBC’s Josh Lederman reports from Warsaw that the White House put Moscow on notice that Biden would be visiting Kyiv a few hours ahead of his arrival.
“Thank you so much for coming, Mr. President, at a huge moment for Ukraine,” Mr. Zelensky said:
Mr. Biden promised to release another $500 million in military aid in coming days, mentioning artillery ammunition, Javelin missiles and Howitzers, but he did not talk about the advanced arms that Ukraine has sought. Mr. Zelensky told reporters that he and the president spoke about “long range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.”
Mr. Biden joined Mr. Zelensky for a visit to St. Michael’s monastery in downtown Kyiv, where the sun glittered off the golden domes as the air-raid alarm wailed. Trailing two soldiers bearing a wreath, the two leaders walked along the Wall of Remembrance, where portraits are on display of more than 4,500 soldiers who have died since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and first fomented a rebellion in eastern Ukraine.
The air-raid alarm had stopped by the time Mr. Biden got back into his motorcade and departed the monastery. The alarms sound almost daily in Kyiv, but the blare of the siren added to the bristling tension of the moment. Ukrainian officials have been warning that Russia was planning a large-scale missile bombardment to be timed to the one-year anniversary of the war.
Zelensky’s media operation has been good from the start. They were ready to go.
No comment from the Kremlin this morning.
Putin cannot afford to lose. The West cannot afford him to win. Donald Trump could resolve this overnight, of course.