Biden Makes A Suprise Visit To Kyiv Ahead Of Ukraine War Anniversary

*_{US President Joe Biden has made a surprise visit to Kyiv – his first to Ukraine since Russia invaded almost a year ago
*It comes as the anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches on 24 February
*Biden said the United States would stand with Ukraine "for as long as it takes" and praised their "heroic" fighting
*He is due to begin a three-day visit to Poland later today
*Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels will discuss how to make sure Ukrainian forces have enough ammunition
*And Russian forces have sustained "very high losses" in their assault on the eastern town of Vuhledar, according to UK intelligence}

The logistics of getting a president to a war zone
There had been widespread speculation among the press corps that President Biden might be planning a trip to Kyiv. Yet today's visit still took everyone completely by surprise.

According to the White House schedule issued yesterday, Biden was due to fly to Warsaw later tonight.

There were two suspiciously lengthy gaps in the itinerary of his two-day trip to Poland and we wondered if that might be when he would slip into Ukraine. Instead, journalists in Washington woke up to find the trip had already happened.

Air Force One took off at 04.15 EST (09.15 GMT) on Sunday. The small pool of reporters travelling with the president were sworn to secrecy and not allowed to report the trip until after his arrival. BBC teams in Kyiv had noticed increased security measures around the city, but did not know for sure who was due to visit.

The White House has now confirmed that President Biden made a 10-hour train journey to Kyiv from Poland, as air travel is not safe in the war zone, leaving reporters like me, who thought they were travelling with the president tonight, making a trip on an aircraft that will not be called Air Force One. That call sign is only used when the president is on board.

Biden's visit is 'important political theatre'
Scott Lucas, professor of International politics at University College Dublin, says Biden’s visit to Kyiv this morning is “huge, it’s huge as political theatre, and political theatre is important in this resistance to the Russian invasion".

“Biden is there showing US support for President Zelensky, but he repeatedly talked about international support for Ukraine, more than 50 countries providing economic and military support and continuing to do so," he tells BBC News.

“There are the practical outcomes to this visit, such as the US commitment to the $500m in military aid.

“But also I think it is setting out the fact that this is not going to be a matter of days or weeks.

“We now know that the first phase of the war has ended really with a Russian defeat.

"Russia hasn’t been able to take Kyiv - again symbolised by Biden’s visit today - they haven’t been able to take over much of the country, they will struggle even with their last-ditch offensive in most of the east. And now we enter the second phase, the second year of the war and how far Ukraine can go with its counter-offensive.”

Visit shows Ukraine is 'closer to victory'
We’ve been getting more reaction from people on the streets of the Ukrainian capital.

Dmytro Yakovets, 26, says the visit is “very important”.

“When a leader of a nation comes, it shows the government supports us and that the people of that country support us,” he says.

“It also helps Ukrainians see that we’re not alone in this war and that such a powerful player in the international arena - as the US is - is supporting us.”

Dmytro adds he thinks the visit has brought Ukraine “closer to victory”.

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Like play like play he don run reach reach a year....


Dem wan even du ear anniversary this people no serious at all....

Biden shouldn't run for a second tenure.

He is already old and has become president.

The US needs a firm leader to take a decisive steps on key decisions.

inoki247:
Like play like play he don run reach reach a year....


Dem wan even du ear anniversary this people no serious at all....

They said Russia would annihilate Ukraine in few days, e done be one year now yet no annihilator and no annihiliatee. I remember saying that Ukraine go be like "you go beat me but na you go first tire". Now Russia dey beat them but na Russia still dey tire.

inoki247:
Like play like play he don run reach reach a year....


Dem wan even du ear anniversary this people no serious at all....

A whole one year. We went from Ukraine would fall in 3days to Ukraine will fall on Sunday to Ukraine will fall in 1 week to Ukrainian will fall in 2 weeks.
Now going to be one year in a few days.