The president of United States, Joe Bidenreiterated his “unwavering” support for Ukraine on Monday in a surprise visit to kyiv in which he promised new arms deliveries to the Ukrainians, a few days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The American leader reached the Ukrainian capital with the greatest secrecy: the White House did not reveal by what means he traveled there, although all Western leaders do so by train through Poland.

However, according to Washington, Russia was warned of Biden’s visit several hours before “in order to avoid conflict,” according to national security adviser Jale Sullivan.

At a press conference with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr ZelenskyBiden said that he will deliver 500 million dollars of supplementary aid and that the details will be announced in the coming days.

I think it is essential that there is no question of the United States’ support for Ukraine,” the president stressed.

This is Joe Biden’s first visit to the war-torn country since Russian troops invaded on February 24, 2022.

Kiev urgently needs long-range ammunition for its artillery and tanks to face a new Russian offensive, as well as to recapture the territories occupied by Moscow in the east and south of the country.

Zelenski thanked the expected delivery of American Abrams tanks, announced a few weeks ago after long discussions, and insisted on the need to obtain ammunition with a range of more than 100 kilometers. Washington has promised to send them, but the quantity and delivery schedule are still uncertain.

“More Than Heroic”

Ukraine’s president said on social media that his US counterpart’s visit was “an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians.”

“This conversation (with Biden) brings us closer to victory,” Zelensky said.

Aircraft sirens resounded in kyiv during Biden’s visit, AFP journalists found.

For Oksana Shylo, 50, Biden’s visit is proof that “Americans are clearly and irrevocably on our side.”

“It is a good sign for the Ukrainian people, for the victory of Ukraine,” agreed Vladyslav Denysenko, 27.

The two leaders laid a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance for the fallen heroes of the Russo-Ukrainian war on Monday, with a military anthem playing in the background and in the presence of uniformed Ukrainian officers.

The Ukrainian president welcomed the presence of his American counterpart and declared that the two wanted to discuss “how to win (the war) this year.”

Joe Biden expressed his admiration for the resilience of the Ukrainians in the face of the invader. “She’s beyond heroic,” he stated.

The US leader insisted that “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war of conquest is failing and that he was wrong to believe that Ukraine was weak and that the West was divided.”

For his part, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, assured that Biden’s visit shows that “nobody is afraid anymore” of Russia.

“End the current war”

Ukraine is experiencing an intensification of fighting in the east of the country, where Russia hopes to regain the initiative after suffering serious setbacks in the autumn.

During the visit, Biden also promised to impose more sanctions on Russia. But the statistics published this Monday suggest that the Russian economy is resisting more than expected.

The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 2.1% in 2022, according to Rosstat. In September, the government had forecast a contraction of 2.9%.

The visit comes after Washington accused Beijing of considering sending arms to Russia.

“It is the United States and not China that sends arms shipments to the battlefield without stopping,” defended the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin.

The head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, has visited several European capitals in recent days.

From Hungary, he insisted that China is willing to cooperate with Budapest and “other countries” to “put an end to the current war” in Ukraine.

“We want the parties to return to the negotiating table,” he stressed, according to an official translation.

It is predicted that Vladimir Putin deliver his annual grand address to Russia’s political elite on Tuesday, an event expected to be largely dedicated to the war in Ukraine.

Biden wrapped up his visit to kyiv shortly after noon and will head to Poland, one of kyiv’s main allies in Europe. He is expected to pronounce from Warsaw on Tuesday.