US President Joe Biden is embraced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv
US President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Kyiv this morning in a show of support ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion, promising President Volodymyr Zelensky that Washington would stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Air raid sirens blared across the Ukrainian capital as Mr Biden visited Kyiv, although there were no reports of Russian missile or air strikes. "Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians," Mr Zelensky said, adding that he and Mr Biden discussed long range weapons during the visit.The White House said Mr Biden would announce more sanctions on Russia and military support for Ukraine including artillery ammunition, anti-armour systems and air surveillance radars. Mr Biden's visit came a day before President Vladimir Putin was due to make a major address, expected to set out Russia's aims for the second year of the invasion he launched on 24 February last year. The anniversary has taken on more than symbolic significance, becoming what the West views as motivation for the war's deadliest phase as Moscow puts thousands of conscripts and mercenaries into a winter offensive. As we approach the anniversary of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, I'm in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. — President Biden February 20, 2023 Russia has secured only scant gains so far in assaults in frozen trenches up and down the eastern front in recent weeks. Kyiv and the West see it as a push to give Mr Putin victories to tout a year after he launched Europe's biggest war since World War II. Moscow received its own apparent signal of diplomatic support, with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi expected in the Russian capital for talks. In public, China has so far remained neutral over the conflict despite signing a"no limits" friendship pact with Russia weeks before the invasion. Washington has said in recent days it is concerned Beijing could begin supplying Moscow with arms. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the United States was"in no position to make demands of China", and China's"comprehensive collaborative partnership with Russia" was a matter for two independent states. Russia is trying to secure full control of two eastern provinces that form Ukraine's Donbas mining and industrial region. It has launched assaults at locations running from Kreminna in the north down to Vuhledar in the south, securing most of its recent gains around the mining city of Bakhmut. Kyiv, which is absorbing a major influx of Western weaponry in coming months for a planned counter-offensive, has lately stuck mainly to defence on the battlefield, claiming to be inflicting huge casualties on the assaulting Russian forces. "The situation is very complicated. And we are fighting. We are breaking down the invaders and inflicting extraordinarily significant losses on Russia," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. "The more losses Russia suffers there, in Donbas - in Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Marinka, Kreminna - the faster we will be able to end this war with Ukraine's victory." Britain's Ministry of Defence said Russia was taking huge casualties, including two elite brigades of thousands of marines probably rendered"combat ineffective" by high losses in failed attempts to storm Vuhledar, a heavily fortified Ukrainian bastion. "The Russian forces are likely under increasing political pressure as the anniversary of the invasion draws near," it said, predicting Moscow would claim to have captured Bakhmut regardless of the situation on the ground. "If Russia's spring offensive fails to achieve anything, then tensions within the Russian leadership will likely increase."Ukrainian officials have urged US Congress members to press Mr Biden's administration to send F-16 fighters to Kyiv, saying the aircraft would boost Ukraine's ability to hit Russian missile units with US-made rockets, US politicians said. The lobbying came over the weekend on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in talks between Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Democrats and Republicans from the Senate and House of Representatives. Mr Biden last month said"no" when asked if he would approve Ukraine's request for Lockheed-Martin-made F-16s. But administration officials said the United States should focus on providing weapons that can be used immediately on the battlefield, rather than fighter jets that require extensive training."Discussions will continue over the course of the next few weeks and months," US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on CNN. Mr Biden will also visit Poland, where Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said they would discuss possibly increasing US troop presence there and making it more permanent. Mr Biden said last June that the United States would set up a new permanent army headquarters in Poland in response to Russian threats. He will also meet Polish President Andrzej Duda and Eastern European allies and speak about Ukraine, according to the White House. "We are in the process of discussion with President Biden's administration about making their presence more permanent and increasing them," Mr Morawiecki said on CBS's"Face the Nation." French President Emmanuel Macron suggested over the weekend that Russia should be"defeated but not crushed" and that the conflict in Ukraine would have to be settled by negotiations, although there is presently no prospect of peace talks. Responding to the remarks, Mr Zelensky said in an interview published yesterday that Mr Macron was wasting his time considering any sort of dialogue with Russia."It will be a useless dialogue. In fact Macron is wasting his time. I have come to the conclusion that we are not able to change the Russian attitude," Mr Zelensky told Italian daily Corriere della Sera. "It is up to them to choose or not to cooperate with the community of nations on the basis of mutual respect." Russia says it was forced to launch what it calls a"special military operations" in Ukraine to rid the country of Nazis and protect Russian speakers.TASS news agency reported that Russia had charged 680 Ukrainian officials, including 118 members of the armed forces and defence ministry, with breaking laws governing the conduct of war. The report came two days after US Vice President Kamala Harris said at the Munich Security Conference there was"no doubt" Russian forces had committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, an allegation Russia denies.
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