President Joe Biden visited Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on Monday (21) for the first time since Russia launched a large-scale invasion against the neighboring country a year ago.
The highly secretive visit comes at a critical moment in the conflict, with Russia preparing for an offensive during the spring and Ukraine expecting to reclaim territory soon.
Biden announced half a billion dollars in new assistance to the country, stating that the package includes more military equipment. He also mentioned that new sanctions would be imposed on Moscow at the end of this week.
“One year later, Kiev is standing. And Ukraine is standing. Democracy endures,” Biden said.
The United States and other Western nations have been sending weapons, tanks, and ammunition to Ukraine in hopes of changing the trajectory of the war. By visiting the country in person, Biden offers a singular image of American support for Zelensky, who has spent the past year trying to rally the world around his nation and appealing for more assistance.Russia Strikes Back
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he is suspending his country’s participation in the START treaty for nuclear arms reduction with the United States, jeopardizing the last remaining pact that regulates the two largest nuclear arsenals in the world.
The treaty imposes limits on the number of intercontinental nuclear weapons that the U.S. and Russia can possess. It was last extended in early 2021 for five years, meaning both sides would soon need to begin negotiating another arms control agreement.
Under the main nuclear arms control treaty, the U.S. and Russia are allowed to conduct inspections of each other’s weapons sites, although these inspections have been suspended since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
And, according to American officials, Russia has repeatedly refused to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities by Americans. “Russia is not fulfilling its obligation under the New START Treaty to facilitate inspection activities on its territory,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in January.Source: CNN and The New York Times