Biden joined a great history of American chairpersons standing up to Russian aggression, and significantly broke from the opprobrious conduct of his precursor.
Kennedy and also Reagan in Berlin. Now Biden in Kyiv. Periodically during the once sixty times, American chairpersons have stood up at the Eastern edge of Europe and looked to Russia to say, “ We stand with our abettors . Our resoluteness is unshakeable. ”
Kennedy said, “ Ich bin ein Berliner. ” Reagan said, “Mr. Gorbachev tear down that wall. ” Biden, on his surprise President’s Day visit to Kyiv said, “ One time latterly, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine beaches. Democracy daises. ”
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Stirringly, just days ahead of the one time anniversary of Russia’s brutal descent against Ukraine, Biden walked through the thoroughfares of Kyiv, paid his felicitations to those who had fallen in defense of Ukraine, and said, “ Freedom is priceless. It’s worth fighting for, for as long as it takes. ”
Biden also movingly invoked the discussion he'd with Zelensky last February as Russia’s massive escalation of its nine- time-old war of unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. He recalled with Zelensky at his side, “ You said you did n’t know when we ’d be suitable to speak again. That dark night the world was literally bracing for the fall of Kyiv maybe indeed the end of Ukraine. ”
Of course, the symbolism of the American chairman standing alongside Zelensky, walking through the Ukrainian capital indeed as air raid enchantresses sounded, carried numerous other dispatches as well. To those fighting for Ukraine, it was a vitally important communication of solidarity that came with farther commitments from Biden of military support for Ukraine.
To Vladimir Putin, it was Biden’s way of saying, “ I'm then in Kyiv and you're not. You not only didn't take Kyiv in days as some prognosticated, but your attack was rebuffed. Your army suffered a humiliating defeat from which it has not recovered. ” Biden emphasized this point in the sanctioned White House statement about the trip saying, “ Putin allowed.Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He allowed he could outlive us. But he was due wrong. ” Importantly, it was a comment that was underlined in recent days by the significant Congressional delegation that attended the Munich Security Conference to make it veritably clear, support for Ukraine continues strong in theU.S. and it's bipartisan.
The sanctioned White House statement also underlined that Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine was part of a larger charge, one of solidarity and leadership among America’s European abettors . Biden, in the statement said, “ I also look forward to traveling on to Poland to meet President Duda and the leaders of our Eastern Flank Abettors, as well as deliver reflections on how the United States will continue to rally the world to support the people of Ukraine and the core values of mortal rights and quality in the UN Charter that unites us worldwide. ”