About a year after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday as a show of support.
Welcome to Kiev, Joseph Biden! All Ukrainians much appreciate your presence, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated on Telegram on Monday.
To “reaffirm our steadfast and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House, he was meeting with Zelenskyy.
To aid in defending the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments, he continued, “I will announce another transfer of crucial weaponry, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars.” And I’ll add that this week we’ll announce new sanctions against elites and businesses who are attempting to sidestep or support Russia’s military industrial complex.
The visit follows a strong display of solidarity from world leaders and lawmakers over the past several days at the Munich Security Conference.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden’s deputy, declared on February 18 that the United States had upgraded its March declaration that Moscow had committed war crimes by concluding that Russia had committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
On Monday, Biden announced that he would travel on to Poland, where he will meet with President Andrzej Duda.
The eleventh round of EU sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine will come after the most recent round of U.S. sanctions. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated last week that the penalties would target Russian propagandists as well as exports worth 11 billion euros ($11.78 billion), dual-use products, and high-tech goods. The consent of EU member states is required for the most recent EU package.
Nevertheless, in an interview with Hadley Gamble of CNBC on Saturday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed scepticism that Putin will be deterred by financial consequences.
What has been demonstrated, he continued, is that Russia is genuinely prepared to pay a heavy price for this conflict.
“President Putin shows no evidence of organising or planning for peace. He is putting the Russian economy on a war footing, mobilising additional troops, and preparing for a new offensive. He is also genuinely contacting other authoritarian governments like North Korea and Iran to obtain more weaponry.
