KYIV, Ukraine — Days before the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of the nation, President Joe Biden paid an unexpected visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Biden recalled the worries from almost a year ago that Russia's invasion forces might quickly seize the Ukrainian capital while speaking with Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace. On his podium, which was adorned with the American and Ukrainian flags, Biden declared, "One year later, Kyiv stands. The Ukraine is standing. Democracy is up. The entire world stands with you, as do the Americans.

The visit to Ukraine comes at a crucial time in the conflict as Biden seeks to maintain unity among allies in support of Ukraine as the conflict is expected to worsen as both sides get ready for spring offensives. Zelenskyy is urging allies to expedite the delivery of weapon systems they have committed to providing, and he is pleading with the West to send Ukraine fighter jets—something Biden has so far declined to do.

Biden announced an additional $500 million in U.S. aid in Kyiv, including anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars, howitzer shells, and other equipment, but no brand-new cutting-edge weapons.

As he and Zelenskyy left the gold-domed St. Michael's Cathedral, which they had visited together, air raid sirens wailed over the capital, giving Biden a brief glimpse of the terror that Ukrainians have endured for nearly a year.

They continued unfazed as they laid a wreath and observed a moment of silence at the Wall of Remembrance in honor of Ukrainian soldiers who have died since 2014. They appeared solemn.

As the anniversary draws near, Zelenskyy believes that the symbolism of having the American president stand alongside him on Ukrainian soil as they urge their European and American allies to provide more advanced weapons and accelerate the pace of delivery is no small thing.

“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about U.S. support for Ukraine in the war,” Biden said. Biden`s visit marked an act of defiance against Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had hoped his military would swiftly overrun Kyiv within days.

Biden recalled speaking with Zelenskyy on the night of the invasion, saying, “That dark night one year ago, the world was literally bracing for the fall of Kyiv." perhaps even the end of Ukraine.”

Biden warned that the “brutal and unjust war” is far from won. "And the sacrifices have been far too great,” Biden said. “We know that there`ll be very difficult days, weeks, and years ahead. Putin's war of conquest is failing.”

Regarding the Russian president, Biden said, "He's counting on us not sticking together." He believed he could outlive us.

He's not thinking that right now, in my opinion. God only knows his thoughts, but I don't believe he is considering that. Biden had the chance to witness firsthand the destruction the Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought about.

Millions of refugees have fled the conflict, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been killed, and the country has sustained infrastructure losses worth tens of billions of dollars. Insisting that "freedom is priceless," Biden promises to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future. It's worth putting up with whatever it takes to win. “And that's how long we`re going to be with you, Mr. President, for as long as it takes,” Biden promised.

Despite the fact that Western surface-to-air missile systems have improved Ukraine's defenses, the trip was one of the few times a U.S. president has visited a conflict area where neither the U.S. nor its allies had control over the airspace. Other than a small Marine detachment guarding the embassy in Kyiv, the U.S. military is not present in Ukraine, making Biden's visit more complicated than other recent trips to war zones by previous U.S. leaders.

While Biden was in Ukraine, U.S. surveillance planes, including the E-3 Sentry airborne radar and an electronic RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft, were keeping watch over Kyiv from Polish airspace. But the White House repeatedly said that no presidential trip to Ukraine was planned, even after the Poland visit was announced earlier this month.

Many of Kyiv's main streets and central blocks have been blocked off since the early hours of Monday without an official justification.
Because of security concerns, only a small number of aides were briefed at the White House on the preparations for Biden's trip to Kyiv.

To maintain secrecy, the president traveled with a typically small entourage that included just a few senior aides and two journalists.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responded, "Right now, the trip is going to be in Warsaw," when a reporter questioned Biden on Friday about possible stops outside of Poland. Later, without being asked, Kirby added, "I said 'right now.'" The journey will be to Warsaw.

At around 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, Biden quietly departed from Joint Base Andrews in the Washington area, stopping at Ramstein Air Base in Germany before continuing into Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, other representatives of the west have visited Kyiv.

In order to meet with Zelenskyy, then-Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron took a night train to Kyiv in June.

Shortly after taking office, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid a visit to Kyiv in November. As president, Biden is making his first trip to a combat area. While in office, Bush made apprehensive trips to Afghanistan and Iraq to meet with American troops and the leaders of those nations.