LONDON and KYIV — President Joe Biden on Monday made an unannounced visit to war-torn Ukraine, arriving in Kyiv as the United States signals its ongoing support ahead of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Biden planned to meet for extended discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials, he said in a statement. He also planned to announced delivery of “critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars.”

Biden’s arrival in Kyiv — a city the Ukrainians successfully defended early in the war — was marked by an increased security presence, with downtown blocks brought to a standstill by police and military vehicles. He was also met with air raid sirens, a near constant sound in a city where civilians have often been targeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s missiles.

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Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/biden-makes-surprise-ukraine-visit-signalling-strong-us/story?id=97328622

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President Joe Biden said that the US and its allies would “respond decisively” if Russia further invaded Ukraine, in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“President Biden made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” said a White House statement about the call on Sunday.

Mr Biden also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Ukraine’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity” and to the principle of “nothing about you without you,” the statement said.

The US president also expressed support for measures to de-escalate tensions in the Ukrainian separatist region of Donbas and “active diplomacy to advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreements” in support of the so-called Normandy format, a series of Franco-German mediated talks aimed at achieving peace in the eastern Ukraine region.

On Thursday, Mr Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone for almost an hour, addressing the Ukraine conflict among other key topics.

The call came ahead of talks in Geneva on 9 and 10 January, during which diplomats from both countries will meet to discuss the stand-off. Russia and NATO are planning hold separate talks two days later, on 12 January.

For weeks, the West has been concerned about reports that Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers in areas not far from Ukraine, triggering fears of a Russian invasion.

Russia rejects the charge, and in turn accuses Ukraine of having moved more soldiers to the eastern areas held by pro-Russian separatist.

The developments recall the events of 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and began its ongoing support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Source: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/joe-biden-says-us-will-respond-decisively-if-russia-further-invades-ukraine/c4710478-c03d-4b0e-80b1-21ad829d6109

The post Joe Biden says US will ‘respond decisively’ if Russia further invades Ukraine first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.