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The first video recordings show US President Joe Biden next to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
US President Joe Biden has arrived in Kiev for an unannounced visit.
Earlier there had been rumors of a high-ranking visit to the Ukrainian capital shortly before the anniversary of the Russian invasion.
The Democrat arrived in the capital ahead of a planned trip to Poland.
It is his first visit to the country since the Russian war of aggression began.
For security reasons, the visit was not announced.
Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy commemorated the fallen Ukrainians together.
During the stay there was an air alarm, as video recordings show.
Biden and his government have pledged to support Ukraine in the long term – as long as it is necessary.
The US government headquarters also issued this as the core message for Biden's visit to Poland.
Now he delivered them personally in Kiev.
»Joseph Biden, welcome to Kiev!
Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians,” Ukrainian President Zelenskyy wrote on Instagram.
New military aid to Kiev and sanctions against Russia
Shortly after news of the visit, Biden said in a statement that the US will announce a new military package in support of Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday: "I will announce another shipment of essential equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-tank systems and air surveillance radars, to... to protect the Ukrainian population from air raids," it says.
The new military aid amounts to $500 million, Biden said in Kiev.
In addition, the US President will announce "further sanctions against elites and companies," according to the statement.
In the statement, Biden also looks back on the past year and praises the unity of the West: "Over the past year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to provide Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic and humanitarian support to defend - and this support will continue.«
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