US President Joe Biden during an unannounced visit to Ukraine declared that the US will back Ukraine in its fight against Russia for as long as it takes. Mr Biden’s first trip to Ukraine as president came days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion. He said that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had been “dead wrong” to think Russia could outlast Ukraine and its Western allies. He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the pair visited a memorial to soldiers who have died in the nine years since Russia annexed Crimea and its proxy forces captured parts of the eastern Donbas region. Mr Biden’s presence was intended to reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He had taken a 10-hour train journey from Poland to reach Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine in secret, later returning to Poland. Russia was informed about the trip a few hours before President Biden’s departure for deconfliction purposes. After the visit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new package of security assistance for Ukraine valued at four hundred and fifty million dollars, including ammunition for howitzers and the Himars rocket system, Javelin missiles and air surveillance radars.
