What message does Biden bring to Poland, during the war anniversary?
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(CNN) --
US President Joe Biden visited Kyiv on Monday for the first time since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, personally and dramatically demonstrating his commitment to the country and his fight as the war enters a new uncertain phase.
While in Kyiv, Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zekenska at the Ukrainian presidential palace.
Biden's visit comes at a critical time in the 12-month conflict, with Russia preparing for an expected spring offensive and Ukraine hoping to retake territory soon.
The United States and other Western nations have been sending weapons, tanks and ammunition to Ukraine in the hope of turning the tide of the war.
By visiting in person, Biden is offering a unique picture of American support for President Zelensky, who has spent the past year trying to rally the world behind his native country and calling for higher levels of assistance.
Joe Biden will visit Poland for the anniversary of the war in Ukraine
President Joe Biden visited his Ukrainian counterpart Volodomyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 20, 2023.
Zelensky himself traveled to Washington in December to meet Biden in the Oval Office and speak at a joint session of Congress — his first trip out of Ukraine since the war began.
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The Ukrainian leader invited Biden to visit Kyiv months ago, saying he believed it was important for the American leader to see the situation up close.
"I think he's the leader of the United States, and that's why he should come here to see him," Zelensky said in April during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper.
As recently as last week, Zelensky said his invitation for Biden to visit Ukraine was still open, though he acknowledged there were other ways for them to talk.
“President Biden and I meet occasionally.
You know we've invited the President.
I think he will be happy to visit Ukraine if he gets the chance.
That would be an important signal to support our nation,” Zelensky said on February 15.
The trip, which was not announced until Monday, comes ahead of Biden's planned two-day visit to Poland.
The president is scheduled to be in Warsaw on Tuesday, where he will meet Polish President Andrzej Duda, the White House said Sunday.
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Biden has been eager to visit Ukraine for months, particularly after several of his counterparts in Europe endured long train journeys to meet Zelensky in Kyiv.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron;
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have paid visits to the country to show their support.
Several of Biden's top officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, also visited the Ukrainian capital to pledge further assistance.
Senior administration officials, including CIA Director Bill Burns and senior White House officials, visited Kyiv last month.
Even Biden's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, made a surprise Mother's Day visit last year to a small town in the far southwest of Ukraine.
She met Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, at a former school that was turned into temporary housing for displaced Ukrainians, including 48 children.
However, security precautions had prevented Biden from making a similar trip.
When he visited Poland in April last year, the White House did not even explore the possibility of a cross-border trip, despite Biden saying he had expressed interest.
"They won't let me, understandably, I guess, cross the border and take a look at what's going on in Ukraine," he said at the time.
Now, with the war nearing its one-year mark on February 24, Biden hopes to show the world his commitment to Ukraine, even as it remains unclear how much longer the US and Western resolve can last.
US officials have privately expressed the hope that the massive influx of weapons into Ukraine, including new vehicles, longer-range missiles and Patriot air defense systems, could help Ukraine prevail on the battlefield and put Zelensky at risk. a stronger position to negotiate an end to the war.
But it remains unclear what parameters Zelensky might be willing to accept in any peace negotiations, and the US has steadfastly refused to define what a deal would look like beyond saying Zelensky will call the shots.
Biden's visit to Ukraine also comes as US concern grows over China's support for Russia's military.
Conflict Russia - UkraineJoe Biden