President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday, in a major show of support days ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Biden met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said he and the U.S. president discussed the provision of long-range weapons for Kyiv amid Ukraine’s repeated urgent appeals for more military support.
The U.S. president pledged an additional half-billion dollars in aid and vowed that the United States would continue to stand by Ukraine in the conflict.
“As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Biden said in a statement.
Read more: Biden Makes Surprise Visit to Ukraine, Pledges $500 Million More Aid