When he paid a visit to the Ukraine Royal House on Monday, President Biden left a handwritten greeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On his unexpected visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, Biden put the letter in the palace guestbook. The city, according to Biden, “caught a portion of my heart.”
“I feel privileged to be welcomed back in Kiev. I support and am friends with the Ukrainian people who value freedom “Biden penned. “Please accept my sincere gratitude for your leadership and bravery, Mr. President. Ukranian Slava!”
On Monday, during his 5-hour visit to the country, Biden wrote the letter. He made use of the trip to reiterate his administration’s dedication to protecting Ukraine from Russian invasion for “as long as it takes.”
President Biden sent a handwritten note to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the leader of Ukraine.
President Biden sent a handwritten note to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the leader of Ukraine.
On an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Joe Biden, center, shook hands as they posed with Olena Zelenska, left, the president’s wife.
On an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Joe Biden, center, shook hands as they posed with Olena Zelenska, left, the president’s wife. (AP Photo/Pool by Evan Vucci)
During the trip, Biden added another $500 million in military aid commitments. Since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has already provided more than $100 billion in aid to that nation.
Supporting Ukraine should be a key priority, according to a number of US legislators, but some have challenged choices to keep providing funding without sufficient monitoring. Although the Biden administration has committed to back Zelenskyy’s government for “as long as it takes,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has stated that Ukraine shouldn’t receive a “blank check.”
Further information on Biden’s unexpected journey was revealed by national security officials, who described it as extraordinary given the absence of U.S. military infrastructure in the area. Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor, was questioned by journalists about whether Washington had informed Moscow that Biden would be visiting Kyiv, a city that had suffered from Russian missile attacks.
On Monday, Vice President Biden traveled to a war-torn Ukraine.
On Monday, Vice President Biden traveled to a war-torn Ukraine. (Getty Images/ED JONES/AFP) )
The Russians were informed that President Biden would be visiting Kyiv, according to Sullivan. “We did so for de-confliction reasons a few hours before his departure.”
Sullivan chose not to go into further detail about how the Russians were informed or whether they replied.
