Biden from Poland: Bitter and difficult days ahead and Russia will never win

US President Joe Biden warned, on Tuesday, of bitter and difficult days ahead, vowing that the United States and its allies will support Ukraine and defend it as the Russian war against it enters its second year.

“The world’s democracies will stand guard over freedom today, tomorrow and forever,” Biden said, at the Royal Palace, a historic landmark in Warsaw, to a crowd of Polish citizens and Ukrainian refugees.

Biden added that there are “difficult and bitter days ahead,” but vowed that the United States and its allies “will support Ukraine”.

Biden’s remarks came a day after he made a lightning and unannounced visit to Kiev, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and announced that his country “will supply the Ukrainian army with important equipment, including ammunition for artillery and anti-armor systems”.

The US President and while delivering an important speech in the Polish capital Warsaw ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s all-out invasion, highlighted Ukraine’s resistance and the unity of NATO.

Biden said on Tuesday, from the Polish capital, “A year ago, the world was preparing for the fall of Kiev… Well, I have just come from a visit to Kiev and can announce the strong position of Kiev”.

The US President continued from the Warsaw Royal Castle, which was a symbol of the city that was largely destroyed in World War II, and was rebuilt later, “Kiev stands proud, stands tall and, most importantly, is still free”.

Biden added that “Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desire for land and power was met not only by the Ukrainian armed forces, but also by the iron will of the Americans, and Russia will never win in Ukraine, never”.

Biden visited Kiev on Monday and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The US President also said that his country’s sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine will remain in place and will be expanded.

Biden said: “We still maintain the largest sanctions regime ever imposed against any country in history… We’ll announce more sanctions this week with our partners”.

Biden accused Russian forces of committing extreme atrocities in Ukraine, including crimes against humanity.

He pointed out that the Russian forces used rape as a weapon of war, kidnapped Ukrainian children, bombed train stations, hospital maternity wards and orphanages.

Zelensky visited the United States last December, on his first foreign trip since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The United States is supporting Ukraine militarily and economically to help it confront the invasion.

US military aid to Ukraine has reached about $16 billion since the invasion, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced last December.