Air Raid Sirens Greet President Biden as he Arrives in Ukraine One Year Ahead of the Russian Invasion

President Biden was greeted by President Zelensky. (Twitter/@Fedorov Mykhailo)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden landed in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv on Monday for a stop on his European tour, one year ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine this weekend.

Air raid sirens sounded as President Biden laid a wreath on a memorial wall, then took a leisurely walk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

There were hints of an important visitor's presence early in the morning, with officials temporarily closing main roads in the Ukrainian capital, causing traffic jams.

This is the first and sudden visit of a US President to Ukraine since the outbreak of the war, it will be symbolically significant for President Zelensky who requested the help of fighter jets from allied countries to repel Russian troops.

In a statement released by the White House, President Biden said: "I will announce the delivery of other critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-missile systems, and aerial reconnaissance radar to help protect the people of Ukraine from aerial bombardment." February 20.

Biden and Zelensky are nonchalantly walking around Kyiv while the alarm sounds. pic.twitter.com/MBttx544T2

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"And I will convey that later this week, we will be announcing additional sanctions against elites and companies that try to circumvent or support the Russian war machine."

"Over the past year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support, and that support will continue," President Biden said.

It is planned that the President will also visit Poland, where he will discuss bilateral cooperation with President Andrzej Duda, as well as meet with NATO leaders to underscore Washington's support for the alliance.