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Biden ends day in Warsaw after unannounced trip to Kyiv

Key updates
Cloak-and-dagger moves accompany rare presidential trip to war zone
Biden leaves Ukraine by train after surprise visit
Blinken details new $460 million aid package from U.S.
President Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Feb. 20 and announced plans to send an additional $460 million in U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. (Video: Naomi Schanen/The Washington Post)
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Updated February 20, 2023 at 9:00 p.m. EST|Published February 20, 2023 at 1:45 a.m. EST
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correction

A previous version of this article listed an incorrect figure for the U.S. pledge of aid to Ukraine. It was $460 million. The article has been corrected.

WARSAW — President Biden landed in Poland’s capital late Monday, capping a day of cloak-and-dagger moves, a surprise Kyiv trip and an announcement that the United States would send $460 million worth of aid to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russian invasion.

On Tuesday, Biden is set to meet with leaders of former Soviet Union nations to discuss how the West can further help Ukraine fight off the Kremlin’s nearly year-long push to conquer Kyiv.

Cloak-and-dagger moves accompany rare presidential trip to war zone
Biden leaves Ukraine by train after surprise visit
Blinken details new $460 million aid package from U.S.

Here’s what to know

  • After Biden’s announcement of the financial commitment Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the $460 million in aid would include ammunition for U.S.-provided missile and tank systems, air surveillance radars and “emergency assistance to keep Ukraine’s energy infrastructure up and running in the face of Russia’s relentless missile and drone attacks.”
  • In Kyiv, Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mariinsky Palace, the official residence of the president, and told reporters that he traveled to Kyiv to show that the United States is “here to stay.”
  • Biden’s visit was shrouded in secrecy and required months of planning, according to White House officials, who characterized the trip as risky. As Biden and Zelensky walked around a monastery Monday, air raid sirens blared, providing a stark reminder of the war.
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Here's what to know:

After Biden’s announcement of the financial commitment Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the $460 million in aid would include ammunition for U.S.-provided missile and tank systems, air surveillance radars and “emergency assistance to keep Ukraine’s energy infrastructure up and running in the face of Russia’s relentless missile and drone attacks.”
In Kyiv, Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mariinsky Palace, the official residence of the president, and told reporters that he traveled to Kyiv to show that the United States is “here to stay.”
Biden’s visit was shrouded in secrecy and required months of planning, according to White House officials, who characterized the trip as risky. As Biden and Zelensky walked around a monastery Monday, air raid sirens blared, providing a stark reminder of the war.

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