“The price Ukraine has had to pay is extraordinarily high. The sacrifices have been enormous. … We know the days and weeks and years ahead will be difficult.”
Outside the cathedral, burnt-out Russian tanks stand as a symbol of the failed assault on Moscow at the beginning of the invasion of the capital, which began on 24 February. Its army quickly reached the ramparts of Kiev—only to be driven back by unexpectedly fierce resistance.
Since then, Russia’s war has killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides, turned cities into rubble, and driven millions of refugees. Russia says it has annexed nearly a fifth of Ukraine, while the West has pledged tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Kiev.
“This US President’s visit to Ukraine, the first for 15 years, is the most important visit in the entire history of Ukraine-US relations,” Zelensky said.
According to a White House pool report by Wall Street, Biden traveled to Ukraine’s capital on an overnight train from Poland at 8 a.m. Monday after nearly 10 hours, before returning there the same way at 1 p.m. (11:00 p.m.). GMT). Journal reporter.
Biden arrived in Warsaw late Monday, where he is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda the next day along with other leaders of countries on the eastern side of NATO.
While Biden was in Kiev, the State Department announced a further $460 million in US aid to Ukraine, including $450 million worth of artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems and air defense radars, and $10 million for energy infrastructure. dollars included.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the union would approve more sanctions ahead of the anniversary of the conflict, which Russia says is a “special military operation” to defend Russian sovereignty.
