At a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky, Biden said he would deliver $500 million in additional aid.
US President Joe Biden reiterated his “unwavering” support for Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kiev on Monday (20), in which he promised new deliveries of arms to Ukrainians, just days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. .
“I will announce a new delivery of essential equipment, especially artillery ammunition, anti-tank systems and airborne surveillance radars,” said the president, quoted in a statement from the White House.
This is Biden’s first visit to the war-torn country since Russian troops invaded on February 24, 2022.
At a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky, Biden said he would deliver $500 million in additional aid and that details would be announced in the coming days.
“I think it is critical that there is no doubt about the United States’ support for Ukraine,” Biden emphasized.
Kiev urgently needs long-range ammunition for its artillery and tanks to face a new Russian offensive, as well as to regain the territories occupied by Moscow in the east and south of the country.
Biden’s pledged new arms shipments are “an unmistakable signal” that Russia “doesn’t stand a chance,” Zelensky said.
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“More than heroic”
Ukraine’s president said on social media that his American counterpart’s visit was “an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians”.
Anti-aircraft sirens sounded in Kiev during Biden’s visit, according to AFP journalists.
This trip comes after several European leaders visited the Ukrainian capital and Zelensky’s visit to Washington in December.
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.
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The Ukrainian president welcomed the presence of his American counterpart and declared that the two want to discuss “how to win (the war) this year”.
Joe Biden expressed his admiration for the resilience of Ukrainians in the face of the invader. “It’s more than heroic,” he said.
“Accelerate military support”
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.
The visit comes after Washington accused Beijing of considering sending weapons to Russia.
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“It is the United States, not China, that is sending shipments of weapons to the battlefield non-stop,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
“We urge the United States to reflect on its own actions and do more to alleviate the situation, promote peace and dialogue, and stop blaming and spreading false information,” he said during a regular press conference.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, also warned Beijing not to send weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine.
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“For us it would be (crossing) a red line,” he insisted.
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At a security conference in Munich over the weekend, Borrell delivered a scathing message about reducing ammunition supplies to Kiev in its fight against the Russian invasion.
“We will accelerate our military support to Ukraine. Ukraine is in a critical situation from the point of view of available ammunition,” Borrell said.
© Agence France-Presse