During his surprising short visit to Kiev, on Monday, US President Joe Biden criticized his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, describing him as, he was wrong in believing that he could stand up to the West.
Biden said in a series of tweets, “Putin was wrong when he thought that Ukraine was weak, that the West was divided, and that he could stand against us”.
“One year later, we stand here together, united with the people of Ukraine,” he added.
Biden noted that “Zelensky and all Ukrainians remind us that freedom is priceless and worth fighting for, no matter what it takes”.
Earlier Monday, Biden arrived in Kyiv, for a surprise visit to affirm his support and solidarity with the war-torn country.
“As the world prepares for the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kiev today to meet with President Zelensky and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” a White House statement said, quoting Biden as saying.
In a related context, the White House said, on Monday, that it had informed Russia of US President Joe Biden’s departure to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, a few hours before the visit.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated, in a press statement, that “the United States informed Russia that President Biden will visit Kiev a few hours before his departure,” according to a statement published on the White House website.
Sullivan didn’t provide further details about the contacts with Russia, citing the sensitive nature of those contacts.
He added, “I won’t go into how they (the Russians) respond, but I can confirm that we informed them of the visit in order not to conflict”.
