KYIV — Simply days earlier than the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the streets of the capital have been all of a sudden locked down on Monday morning. Then movies of a mysterious procession of vehicles with blacked-out home windows started being posted on-line.
Who, many odd Ukrainians — attempting to go about their every day enterprise as finest as they will regardless of the battle — was the overseas visitor inflicting a lot inconvenience?
There had been rumors that Joe Biden was going to make a shock go to to Kyiv earlier than his scheduled journey to Poland. However the folks of Ukraine didn’t know for positive till Biden was pictured walking out of Mykhailivsky monastery in central Kyiv along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The picture of the U.S. president calmly strolling in Kyiv, whereas air raid sirens blared within the background, gave hope to Ukrainians, who noticed a robust ally standing beside them.
“Thanks, Mister President, for visiting Kyiv immediately. Sturdy gesture in help of our battle. Once more, we’re invincible when united! Russia is already dropping. Invaders will die. Be courageous like Ukrainians and like Biden,” outstanding Ukrainian navy volunteer Serhiy Prytula mentioned in a statement.
Russians have been clearly much less impressed. Dmitry Medvedev, a former president, reacted with a rant about Biden “being allowed to safely journey to Kyiv by Russians” and Russian navy bloggers started asking when Vladimir Putin goes to the occupied Donetsk area to present the identical variety of help for his troops.
Vladyslav Faraponov, an Internews Ukraine media analyst, instructed POLITICO that “Russians are going loopy on social media as a result of they understand their weak spot throughout this go to. There’s nothing they will do about it. What’s extra, as the primary anniversary of the battle approaches, it makes them assume of their foolishness as Russia’s officers have satisfied them that Kyiv may very well be captured in three days.”
Biden’s nationwide safety adviser, Jake Sullivan, instructed the AP that the Russians have been solely formally knowledgeable a number of hours earlier than the go to to keep away from “any miscalculation that would deliver the 2 nuclear-armed nations into direct battle.”
“It’s troublesome to think about an even bigger diplomatic slap [in the face] to Putin than the arrival of President Biden in Kyiv,” former CEO of Ukrainian gasoline firm Naftogaz Andriy Kobolev wrote on Facebook.
Biden got here bearing greater than help: In a joint deal with with Zelenskyy, he introduced half a billion {dollars} of extra help to Ukraine, which can embrace navy tools such as artillery munitions, javelins and howitzers.
“Along with greater than 50 companion international locations, we’ve got permitted greater than 700 tanks and 1000’s of armored autos,” the U.S. president mentioned. Biden additionally mentioned he thought it was vital not to go away any doubt about U.S. help for Ukraine within the battle: “The Ukrainian folks have stepped up in a method that few folks ever have previously.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Protection Minister Hanna Maliar described Biden’s go to as a historic day for Ukraine. “It’s a sunny and heat day in Kyiv. We survived this winter, which is sort of over. Now it’s time to win the battle,” she wrote in a press release, posting a photograph of the Ukrainian first couple fortunately greeting Biden in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Deputy of Defence Minister Hanna Maliar | Sergei Supinsky/AFP through Getty Photographs
Ukrainian troopers combating on the entrance strains additionally noticed Biden’s go to as a morale increase forward of the anticipated counteroffensive later this week.
“He got here to the capital, half a thousand kilometers from the entrance line. And the blokes on the very entrance, regardless of the wild fatigue and chilly, have a totally totally different temper. Extra vitality and power. There’s even better confidence that we’re doing the whole lot proper,” Ukrainian serviceman and environmental activist Yehor Firsov wrote in a Facebook post.
Faraponov, the Internews Ukraine media analyst, mentioned: “In my opinion, the go to of President Biden is essential for Ukrainians as a result of it hasn’t been introduced prematurely, and it brings some hope throughout this troublesome time.”
He added: “The go to is occurring in the mean time of the Russian counteroffensive within the east. As well as, final week Russia continued to launch missiles throughout Ukraine. Subsequently, Ukrainians have monumental expectations for the U.S. relating to extending its help towards Ukraine. It applies to fighter jets, extra tanks, long-range missiles, and different means to defeat Russia. However what I’ve seen immediately is a affirmation that Biden has a particular sentiment towards Ukraine.”
The shock go to was a logistical nightmare to prepare. Biden left Washington at 4:15 a.m. native time and U.S. officers had expressed considerations that the president couldn’t fly into Ukraine or take a 10-hour prepare experience with out immense threat to the host nation and Biden himself. Guaranteeing the president’s security was a near-impossible endeavor, these officers mentioned, although they acknowledged Biden had lengthy wished to go to Kyiv.
A Ukrainian authorities official, talking on the situation on anonymity due to the confidential info concerned, mentioned the Ukrainians “have been requesting this go to for a very long time.”
The identical official added that the go to had been ready “in a really brief quantity of time” — round every week — “with the utmost stage of secrecy via (President’s Workplace Head Andriy) Yermak’s and (International Minister Dmytro) Kuleba’s strains of communication.”
Biden’s daring transfer introduced reward from past Ukrainian borders. Estonian International Minister Urmas Reinsalu mentioned the go to to Kyiv was “immense.”
“In a method, it would body all these occasions across the unhappy anniversary of the yr of the full-scale battle. And it’ll give, I believe, loads of psychological energy to the Ukrainian folks. It should give a powerful sign to Russia. However crucial additionally, I believe, everywhere in the planet, and additionally international locations of world south will get that sign.”
Poland’s Ambassador to the EU Andrzej Sadoś mentioned Monday’s go to “strengthens the allies’ dedication to help Ukraine and introduce additional sanctions in opposition to Russia. It’s a well timed, symbolic and historic go to which exhibits that the free world stands with Ukraine.”
Lili Bayer contributed reporting.
