President Joe Biden taunted Vladimir Putin for his predictions over Western support for Ukraine during an unannounced visit to meet with president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mr Biden arrived in Kyiv on Monday morning for his first trip to the embattled country since Russia invaded almost one year ago.
Accompanied by the blare of a nationwide air-raid alert, Mr Biden said: “As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelensky and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
“When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.”
Mr Biden said Washington would stand with Ukraine as long as it takes, while Mr Zelensky replied: “Your visit is an extremely important sign of support for all Ukrainians.”
