During his visit, Biden told about the new 468 million euro arms aid package for Ukraine. The visit came as a surprise, as it had not been announced in advance.
12:58•Updated 13:15
President of the United States Joe Biden has arrived for a surprise visit to Ukraine.
Biden has met the president of Ukraine in the capital, Kiev to Volodymyr Zelensky.
The presidents appeared together on a walk in the center of Kyiv.
Biden was scheduled to visit only Poland, and the visit to Ukraine had not been announced for security reasons.
During his visit, Biden told about the new $500 million, or about EUR 468 million, arms aid package for Ukraine.
The package includes ammunition for HIMARS launchers. They are precise and long-range systems with which Ukraine is able to destroy Russian artillery and ammunition stores.
In addition, the package includes artillery ammunition, anti-tank systems and air surveillance radars, he said in his statement.
Zelenskyi claimed that he and Biden also discussed long-range weapons, which the United States has not previously agreed to supply to Ukraine. However, he did not comment on the matter in more detail, and Biden did not confirm the matter.
This is Biden’s first visit to Ukraine since the start of the war. During his tenure, US Vice President Biden visited Ukraine six times.
– Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians, Zelenskyi said.
The story will be updated