February 20, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Wang Yi attends a meeting with Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister and their delegations at the Foreign Office in Budapest, Hungary on February 20.

China is willing to work with other countries to achieve an early ceasefire and lasting peace in Ukraine,?the country’s top diplomat?Wang?Yi?said while visiting Budapest on Monday, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Wang,?who was named Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s top foreign policy adviser last month,?is due to arrive in Russia this week, a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.?

Neither Russia nor China has specified whether?Wang?would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, on Monday,?Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “we do not exclude a meeting” between?Wang?and Putin.?

China’s Foreign Ministry said earlier the visit to Moscow will provide an?opportunity for China and Russia to continue to develop their strategic partnership and “exchange views” on “international and regional hotspot issues of shared interest.”

Some background: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Wang on Saturday in Munich, Germany, and warned “about the implications and consequences” if Beijing increases its support for Russia’s war effort, according to a US readout of the meeting.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned China not to give any support to Russia, saying it could lead to another world war.

There is?no more powerful symbol?of Vladimir Putin’s failure.

A year ago, the Russian leader launched a blitzkrieg against Ukraine, mocking its history and sovereignty, sending his tanks churning toward Kyiv to obliterate the democratically elected government led by a former comic actor. His purpose was clear: To crush once and for all Ukraine’s dreams of joining the West and to force it to return to the orbit of greater Russia.

Back then, anyone predicting how the anniversary of the war would be marked might have mused about a Russian military parade and a visit by Putin himself to a puppet leader he installed in a nation again under Moscow’s iron fist.

The reality is far?different following heroic?Ukrainian resistance bolstered by weapons sent by NATO members.

The president of the United States,?in overcoat and shades, strolled through Kyiv in daylight, visiting a historic church as air raid sirens wailed and standing exposed alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky in the city’s vast, open and iconic St. Michael’s Square.

His presence sent a message of defiance to Putin most directly and a cherished sign of resolve and empathy for the people of Ukraine. His audience also included European powers in a western alliance that Biden has led and invigorated like no president since the end of the Cold War. And every time a commander-in-chief makes such an audacious splash on the world stage he’s also making a point to Americans – on whose support continuing extraordinary support for Ukraine’s war effort depends – and to his own fervent domestic critics.

Read more here

Nailia Manzurina’s eyes filled with tears as she remembered the moment she and her two young sons had to separate from her husband in their native Russia.

“Praise God it was just temporary,” she said as she wiped away tears.

It was late September 2022 and emotions were high in Russia because President Vladimir Putin had just imposed the country’s first military draft since World War II. Social media videos showed mothers and wives wailing as their loved ones were dragged into the war in Ukraine. Young men rushed to neighboring countries in droves to avoid getting pulled into the fight.

Nailia’s husband, Mikhail Manzurin, 25, qualified for the draft but he disagreed with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And he felt, very strongly, that he shouldn’t be forced to serve in the military against his will.

Fearing Mikhail would be drafted, jailed or worse, the family decided to flee, embarking on a multi-country odyssey with their newborn, Philip, and toddler, Mark, that would take them through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Dubai, Mexico and ultimately to the United States – all with the help of strangers.

They would become part of a vast wave of Russians seeking shelter from the war in the United States. Over the past six months, data posted by American border authorities shows that the number of Russian citizens they have encountered has nearly tripled: from 1,645 Russians in August 2022 (the month before Russia’s draft began) to 4,509 in January.

In total, nearly 22,000 Russians, including the Manzurins, have tried entering the United States through the country’s southern border since October 2022, the first full month after the draft was announced, according to the latest US Customs and Border Protection data.

Read more here

Japan will provide an additional $5.5 billion (around 738 billion yen) in financial assistance to Ukraine,?Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Monday, just days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.?

Japan had already pledged $600 million in financial assistance, millions worth of humanitarian aid and joined Western allies in imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.?

Kishida also announced he will host an online summit of G7 leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, the day of the anniversary and ahead of the annual G7 summit in Hiroshima in May.?

Oksana Markaorva, Ukrainian ambassador to the US, speaks with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Monday, February 20, 2023.

US President Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv on Monday was “very important” to Ukrainians as a demonstration of solidarity and unity, according to Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States.

Markarova said she hopes Biden’s trip “will also unlock a lot of additional support, which is so needed in order to finish this war faster.”

Zelensky has been pushing for more US weaponry, including fighter jets, a request that is being met with skepticism by the US and other Western officials, who say the jets would be impractical, both because they require considerable training and because Russia has extensive anti-aircraft systems that could easily shoot them down.

But, while in Kyiv on Monday, Biden did announce new military assistance and incoming Russian sanctions.

As to how the next phase of the war will look, Markarova said Ukraine is “prepared for everything.

“We are ready to defend our?country,” she said. “As I said a year ago,?Ukrainians will not give up and?will not surrender, and that’s?what we will do.?We will not surrender, and we?will not rest until we win.”

President Joe Biden has crossed into Poland after an unprecedented trip to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday. There, the president reaffirmed his support and announced new aid for Ukraine.

On the ground, Russia is increasing the number of soldiers in Ukraine, prompting calls from world leaders for allies to continue sending military support and additional ammunition to Kyiv.

Here’s what you need to know:

Ukrainian soldiers defending the fiercely contested eastern city of Bakhmut from Russian forces thanked US President Joe Biden for visiting Kyiv on Monday, nearly a year since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.?

Madyar?is walking alongside another Ukrainian soldier amid destroyed buildings in what they said was Bakhmut.?He?talks about the situation on the battlefield and references Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming address on Tuesday.

“Thank you, Mr. President Biden! God bless America! Thank you for your support and help,” the soldier walking with him says in the video.

Madyar?said there hadn’t been “territorial success for the enemy in the Bakhmut outskirts” on Monday. CNN is not able to independently verify those claims.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last Wednesday that the situation in Bakhmut was “the most difficult out of all” the contested areas in Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at St. Michaels Golden-Domed Cathedral during an unannounced visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday, February 20.

The visit Monday by US President Joe Biden was an important day for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday in an evening address.?

The specific steps “to liberate our still-occupied territories and to guarantee reliable security for our country and for all the peoples of Europe” are known. “All we need is determination,” he said.?

Zelensky thanked the American people, members of Congress from both parties and members of Biden’s team for helping strengthen the alliance between the two countries.

“Now we are convinced that there is nothing that can undermine our democracy. Not a single aspect of Ukrainian life is and will ever be fragile. Our strength is a powerful contribution to the strength of all freedom-loving nations in the world,” he said.?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks on February 15 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized American aid to Ukraine as an “open-ended blank check” and questioned whether the United States should be engaged in the Russian conflict at all.

The remarks, made on the occasion of Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, were some of DeSantis’ most direct comments about the US involvement in the war since the conflict started a year ago.??

Asked “what a win looks like” for the US, DeSantis downplayed Moscow’s military actions to date and said Russia was “really wounded” and had suffered “tremendous, tremendous loses” without acknowledging the role that US weapons, military intelligence and aid have played in shaping the conflict.

DeSantis insisted Russia is not a threat “on the same level as China.”??

“The fear of Russia going into NATO countries and all that, and steamrolling, that has not even come close to happening,” DeSantis said. “I think they have shown themselves to be a third-rate military power.”

US President Joe Biden walks down a train corridor to his cabin after a surprise visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on February 20.

US President Joe Biden has left Ukraine after a highly symbolic covert visit.

He crossed the border into Poland at roughly 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), according to a report from the traveling press pool.

Biden traveled by train in and out of Kyiv, making the 10-hour journey with only a handful of advisers and two journalists.

Biden flew to Poland aboard a C-32 aircraft with a refueling stop in Germany before boarding the train into Ukraine on Sunday.

The train went by night into Ukraine, making only a few stops to collect additional security.

The European Commission's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell rings the bell before a meeting of Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, on February 20.

To counter a growing number of Russian troops, Ukraine needs more ammunition, in addition to other pledges of military support from allies, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Russia is massing “almost twice the number of soldiers that were there at the beginning of the war” in Ukraine, adding that the next few weeks will be crucial, he said.

“For that, time is of essence. Speed means lives. We need to respond quickly. Not only more support, but to provide it quicker,” Borrell added.

The best way to get ammunition to Ukraine quickly is to share existing European army stockpiles so that there is no time wasted waiting for them to be produced, he said.

“We have to use what has already been produced and stockpiled, or what has already been contracted and will be produced in the coming days. Priority has to be given to the supplies for the Ukrainian army, as much as we can,” he said.?

Borrel also said a tenth package of sanctions against Russia was also discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, announcing that they have been “presented as a Regulation for the Council to approve,” which should happen in the “next hours, or next days.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asserted to not?“overestimate” Russian capacity to produce weapons, as he urged allies to expand sanctions against entities producing Russian missiles.??

Kuleba sat down with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend for an interview that aired on CNN on Monday.??

“Our partners have a tool in their hands to suppress this production, which is sanctions,” he said.

Addressing growing concerns in Europe that ammunition supplies are diminishing, Kuleba stated “there will never be enough ammunition as long as the war continues”.??

“Yes, if you ask me what we need the most here and now, I’d artillery munitions. If you ask me [to] imagine that’s solved, what is next, I’d say Howitzers to use this ammunition,” the foreign minister said.?

“Businesses need contracts and to have contracts you need money. Therefore, if governments want to support Ukraine, they can finance their own companies by contracting their production of ammunition and other weapons, and that’s what we are working on,” Kuleba continued.?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listens as US President Joe Biden speaks at Mariinsky Palace during a surprise visit, on February 20 in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that a world war could break out if China supported Russia against Ukraine.???

Zelensky said he has personally appealed to the Chinese leadership through direct channels and publicly “not to offer any support” to Russia in the war.?

“From the early 1990s, at the Budapest Memorandum and for all the agreements reached since then, China has always kept its commitments. I personally hope that the international community will join together to support my 10-point peace plan, where American, Chinese and major power guarantees to defend world security are covered,” Zelensky told the newspaper.??

The Ukrainian president said that Ukraine’s relationship with China has always been “very good.”?

“We have had intense economic relations for many years, and it is in everyone’s interest that they do not change. The global challenge is to thwart any risk of nuclear conflict,” he continued.??

On Sunday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS’ “Face the Nation” program that Washington is concerned that China is considering providing “lethal support” to Russia’s war in Ukraine.???

The United States along with more than 30 other countries including Canada and most of Europe are backing a proposed ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international sports, according to a joint?statement?published by the British government Monday.?

The countries asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reverse its decision last month to create a pathway for Russian and Belarussian athletes to participate in the upcoming Games as “neutral athletes.”?

“There are serious concerns about how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete on a neutral basis given they are directly funded and supported by their states. As long as a workable ‘neutrality’ model is not set out in detail, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed back into competition,” it added.

The statement went on to say that “there are clear concerns over the strong links and affiliations between Russian athletes and the Russian military,” demanding that the IOC must address the questions identified by all countries and reconsider its proposal.

The statement is signed by sport and culture ministers of the US, Canada, UK, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.??

Here’s what the US previously said: Earlier this month, the White House said it did not object to allowing athletes from Russia or Belarus from taking part in the 2024 Summer Games and 2026 Winter Games — as long as it is “absolutely clear” that they are not representing their home countries, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“In cases where sports organizations and event organizers, such as the International Olympic Committee, choose to permit athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in supporting events, it should be absolutely clear that they are not representing the Russian or Belarusian states,” Jean-Pierre said, adding that the use of any official Russian or Belarusian flags, emblems or anthems should be prohibited.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, speaks during the 2023 Munich Security Conference on February 18.

No one knows how the war in Ukraine will end, but “there is no sign” that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has changed his ambitions” as the invasion approaches the one-year mark this week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

“We see the opposite. He’s not planning for peace. He’s planning for more war,” he told CNN at the Munich Security Conference.

Stoltenberg said Russia is trying to make up for poor equipment and logistics with more troops, something he described as “throwing just waves of people on the defensive lines,” a type of fighting that hasn’t been seen since World War I.

“If you don’t care so much about human lives then you just throw in more and more,” he said.

Stoltenberg said while how the conflict will end is unclear, what he is sure of is the importance of western military support for Ukraine.

“If you want Ukraine to prevail as a sovereign nation and if you want a peaceful negotiated solution tomorrow, then you need to provide military support today,” he said, adding that the effectiveness of negotiations for Ukraine depends on “strength on the battlefield.”

Portugal is ready to send three Leopard 2 A6 combat tanks to Ukraine in March, Portugal’s defense ministry said in a statement earlier this month.

The decision was made?within the framework of ongoing contacts with allies and partners, the ministry said on February 8.?

Some background: Several countries have offered to give tanks to Ukraine, though not all have confirmed how many they plan to send.

Much of southern and eastern Ukraine, where much of the heavy fighting is happening, is ideal terrain for combinations of modern Western tanks and armored fighting vehicles to spearhead a counteroffensive.

Additionally, Leopard 2s,?Abrams?and British Challengers all carry heavy machine guns, which would devastate infantry in open land. Another advantage of the?Leopard 2, the tanks Portugal among other countries are planning to send, is that the ammunition for its 120 mm gun is widely available among NATO armies.

President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a press conference in Kyiv on February 20.

Cloaked in secrecy and weighted with history, US President Joe Biden’s trip to Ukraine was the work of months of planning by only a small handful of his senior-most aides, who recognized long ago the symbolic importance of visiting the Ukrainian capital a year after Russia tried to capture it.

A secret until the last minute: Keeping Biden’s plans secret required extraordinary measures on the part of the White House. In the weeks leading up to Biden’s travel, he and top aides repeatedly shot down the possibility of a trip to Ukraine. Every effort was made to maintain that position in the hour leading up to Biden’s surprise arrival in Kyiv.

That was in part due to the fluid nature of the trip itself. Even as the small circle of White House officials looped in on the planning grew confident it was an achievable undertaking, the realities of sending a president into a war zone where the US had no control over the air space were daunting.

The final decision was made in an Oval Office meeting on Friday evening, when Biden gave the final green light. Once the trip was on, US officials took steps to notify Moscow of their plans, an attempt at “deconfliction” meant to avoid unthinkable disaster while Biden was on the ground.

A 10-hour train ride through Ukraine: There would be a stop to refuel at a US base in Germany before continuing the flight into Poland. As he jetted eastward, Biden’s focus was plotting out his conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, hoping to use his limited time wisely in discussing the coming months of fighting.

Biden landed in Rzeszow, the Polish town where he’d stopped in March of last year to visit US troops deployed near the Ukrainian border and humanitarian efforts supporting Ukrainian refugees. During that visit 11 months ago, he alluded to what became a long-running desire to extend his journey just a little further into Ukraine.

This time around, with an expanded set of US air assets overhead keeping close watch at the Polish border, he would make the trip. Biden, his small contingent of advisers and Secret Service that traveled with him boarded the train to Kyiv for the roughly 10-hour trip to the center of the war-torn country.

It was the culmination of a process that began months earlier, as Biden watched as a parade of his foreign counterparts each made the journey into Ukraine.

Calculated risk: As Biden was briefed over several months on the planning for a potential visit, the person said that Biden only once expressed concern about the risk of a visit to Ukraine — but that was about the extent to which his visit could endanger others, rather than about his own safety. Other officials were extremely concerned about Biden’s own safety and prepared a series of security contingency plans for the trip.

“This was a risk that Joe Biden wanted to take,” said White House communications director Kate Bedingfield. “It’s important to him to show up, even when it’s hard, and he directed his team to make it happen, no matter how challenging the logistics.”

Read more about Biden’s historic trip here.

CNN’s Jeremy Diamond contributed reporting to this post.

President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral on a surprise visit?in Kyiv on Monday.

US President Joe Biden made an unprecedented?trip to Kyiv Monday for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.

Biden walked alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky around the gold-domed St. Michael’s Cathedral as air raid sirens could be heard ringing out around Kyiv. The US president announced a half-billion dollars of additional assistance to Ukraine and incoming sanctions against Moscow as he vowed to continue to support Kyiv.?Zelensky praised Biden’s visit, saying it leaves Ukraine “closer to victory.”

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden was intently focused on discussing the coming months of fighting when he sat down with Zelensky. Their talks come at what Sullivan called a “critical juncture” in the war, as Russia prepares for a spring offensive and as Ukraine hopes to retake territory seized over the past 12 months.

Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine also came just ahead of his scheduled trip to Poland later on Monday. Marchin Przydacz, a top advisor to Polish President Andrzej Duda, told CNN that Biden’s visit to Kyiv is a “clear sign” of American commitment to supporting Ukraine.

Here are more of the latest headlines on the Russia-Ukraine war:

After nearly a year of war and fighting for their sovereignty against Russia, Maryan Zablotskiy, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, said US President Joe Biden’s visit to the country’s capital Monday was “spiritually uplifting.”

He said there have been rumors of a new offensive from Russia and increased shelling but to see both presidents in Kyiv “under the active air raid alarm” was “a message to Putin” that they’re in the range of?his missiles and he can’t “do anything about it?because we’re much stronger.”

The last few months of the war have been difficult, Zablotskiy told CNN. He said many Ukrainians have lost friends in the conflict, but Biden’s visit was a show of united strength.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the Chinese delegation at the Munich Security Conference last week that they are “responsible for world peace” and that Beijing must “not supply Russia with any weapons,” she said on Monday.??

“I made it clear that China in particular, as a member of the Security Council, is responsible for world peace in the situation we are currently experiencing with the Russian war of aggression, which is also a breach of international law,” Baerbock said Monday after an EU meeting in Brussels.?

“This also means that China must not supply Russia with any weapons, including dual-use goods,” she added.?

On Sunday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS’ “Face the Nation” program that the US is concerned that China is considering providing “lethal support” to Russia’s war in Ukraine.?

Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday in the first face-to-face meeting between senior US and Chinese officials since Blinken postponed his trip to China earlier this month.?

While Blinken and Wang’s talks centered on the balloon saga, a senior State Department official told reporters Blinken was “quite blunt in warning about the implications and consequences of China providing material support to Russia or assisting Russia with systematic sanctions evasion” during his meeting with China’s top diplomat.?

Some background: As?CNN previously reported, the Biden administration last month raised concerns with China about evidence it has suggesting that Chinese companies have sold non-lethal equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine, in an effort to ascertain how much Beijing knows about the transactions, according to two US officials.

That equipment has included items like flak jackets and helmets, multiple sources familiar with US and European intelligence told CNN. But China has stopped short of the more robust military assistance, like lethal weapons systems for use on the battlefield in Ukraine, that Russia has requested because it has not wanted to be seen as a pariah on the world stage, officials said.

CNN’s Sam Fossum, Aaron Pellish and Natasha Bertrand contributed to this post.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, left, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speak to reporters on Monday.

Germany’s largest arms manufacturer Rheinmetall expects the first batch of ammunition for anti-aircraft Gepard systems?will be delivered to Ukraine by July, CEO Armin Papperger said on Monday.??

Papperger made the commitment while speaking to journalists with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius after the two visited the manufacturing site of the tanks in Unterluess, in western Germany.??

The influential Rheinmetall CEO also announced that twenty Marder fighting vehicles will be ready to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of March.??

In response to Pistorius’ appeal to arms manufacturers to fire up ammunition production, Papperger said his company had “doubled capacities, in some sectors even tripled them.“?

“In weapons production, the warehouse is full, we are running at full steam here and we can still increase capacity with one shift,“ if contracts were made, he said.??

Pistorius said the German government was working with the industry to deliver whatever was possible.??

“We can deliver what we have and we can deliver what will be produced in the next months,“ he added.?

The German defense minister on Monday also visited members of the Ukrainian military learning to operate Leopard tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles in Germany’s Munster.??

The production of a modern battle tank takes “about two to two and a half years” from the time it is ordered, Pistorius said during the visit.??

“Everything we are handing over now (to Ukraine) will only be available for replacement in two or two-and-a-half years,“ he added.

President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

President Joe Biden’s?surprise visit to Ukraine?sparked anger and embarrassment among many of Russia’s hawkish military pundits on Monday, increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin as the Russian leader prepares to justify his stuttering invasion in a national address.

Biden’s historic visit came days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, providing a?symbolic boost to Kyiv?at a crucial juncture in the conflict.

But the visit caused fury in Russian pro-military and ultranationalist circles, as it upstages Putin on the eve of a major address in which the Russian president is expected to tout the supposed achievements of what he euphemistically calls a “special military operation.”

Here’s what the Russian pundits are saying about Biden’s trip:

Read more about this here

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat holds a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 14.

The Ukrainian military will be “ready” to respond to any possible “provocative actions” by Russia around the anniversary of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, told CNN on Monday.

The official didn’t elaborate on any possible specific threats, but said if the Russians engage in some sort of “provocative actions” on February 23, 24 or 25, the Ukrainian Air Force is “on stand-by 24/7, our job is to be ready at all times.”

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. February 23 is celebrated in Russia as Defender of the Fatherland Day.

Gitanas Nauseda, Lithuania's prime minister, speaks to members of the media in Brussels, Belgium, on February 17, 2022.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday urged the West to cross “red lines” to deliver the military aid Ukraine needs.?

“This is very important that we cross these red lines, which are in our minds and do not reality really exist. Maybe sometimes Russia tries to set up those red lines instead of us,” he said in an interview with CNN’s Julia Chatterley.?

He said that US President Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv on Monday shows Ukraine won’t be abandoned and sends a very strong message of unity among Ukraine’s allies.??

When asked what message he will take to Biden during their upcoming meeting in Warsaw, the Lithuanian leader said that he would discuss with the US leader about Lithuania’s security and “especially the security of eastern flank.”

The president added that Baltic nations are exposed to “direct threats” from Russia and Belarus.?“This is the reason we expect some positive signals regarding our security,” he said.??

Biden, during his visit to Poland this week, is expected to meet with leaders of the “Bucharest Nine,” the group of Eastern flank NATO allies – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

When asked about his response to the Chinese foreign minister recently saying Beijing is ready to present its peace proposition for Ukraine, Nauseda said that China should not interfere in the war.??

More on China-Russia relations: As Biden touched down in Ukraine to meet with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, China’s top diplomat was traveling to Russia. The trip came as the US has recently begun seeing “disturbing” trendlines in China’s support for Russia’s military and there are signs that Beijing wants to “creep up to the line” of providing lethal military aid to Russia without getting caught, US officials familiar with the intelligence told CNN.

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting to this post.

Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region has been under “constant” shelling by Russian forces, the?head of Donetsk regional military administration,?Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in a telegram post on Monday.?

One person was killed and two others were injured due to Russian shelling in the village of Ivanopillia near the town of Kostiantynivka, he said.?

Russian forces struck other villages in the region with rockets and artillery, he said. CNN has not been able to independently verify those claims.?

Residential buildings, a school, cars, shops, cafes and industrial facilities were destroyed or damaged,?Kyrylenko said.?

The Donetsk region has seen some of the most intense fighting in recent days and weeks.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in the eastern city of Bakhmut is “the most difficult out of all” areas in Ukraine.?

Here’s where things stand on the ground:

Amanda Sloat, the senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that US President Joe Biden felt “it was symbolically important for him to make the trip to Ukraine, to stand side-by-side with President Zelenskyy and present US support” for Kyiv, especially ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.?

Sloat said that “the top concern is security,” and that Biden “has been very clear that he’s long wanted to go to Ukraine. Ukraine’s had a very special place in his heart, including from back when he was Vice President.”

When asked about proposals to have the allied countries train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets ahead of potential future transfers, Sloat said that NSC has been “focused on providing the near-term capabilities that the Ukrainians need in terms of their ground offensive.”?

Sloat also said both presidents “had the opportunity to exchange perspectives on security assistance,” which she called a “good discussion.”

She also acknowledged that Russia was notified of Biden’s arrival in Ukraine, saying that a notification to the Russians was sent “several hours before the president left, primarily for deconfliction purposes.”

“I’m not going to try to get into the mind of President Putin,” Sloat said when asked if she anticipates Biden’s surprise Kyiv trip will alter Putin’s planned speech to mark the year anniversary. She said she believes Biden’s speech in Poland “will also be historic.”

Sloat characterized US-Poland relations as “extremely strong” and said “Poland has really stepped up” in supporting Ukraine over the past year.

Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council?Dmitry?Medvedev?attends a military parade on Victory Day in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed US President Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv Monday, accusing the US of warmongering support for Ukraine.

More on the former president: Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, is known for making belligerent pronouncements in an apparent bid to shore up his nationalist credentials.?

While Biden’s public schedule didn’t reflect his trip to Ukraine Monday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington informed Moscow of Biden’s plans to visit the Ukrainian capital for “deconfliction purposes” a few hours prior to his departure.?

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian private military company Wagner, acknowledged Monday a “major problem” with ammunition supplies for his troops, amid a public spat with the leaders of Russia’s defense establishment.?

“The issues that I raised about ammunition, unfortunately, remain unresolved,”?Prigozhin said in an emotional audio shared by his team on his official Telegram channel. “And this is a major problem.“

Prigozhin believes there is enough ammunition supply in Russia, as “the industry has reached the required levels” and can provide for the country’s needs but said he “can’t solve this problem despite all of my acquaintances and connections.”

Prigozhin claimed he has been told he needs to “go and apologize” to someone “high up” who he has a “difficult relationship with” to resolve the issue, but added he does not know who that is.

CNN cannot independently verify Prigozhin’s claims of an ammunition shortage. The chief, who has no official position, has been unusually public in his criticism of some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s generals.??

More background: According to Prigozhin, Wagner did not experience such problems with ammunition when Gen. Sergei Surovikin commanded Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Surovikin was replaced by Gen. Valery Gerasimov in January.

“Those who prevent us from winning this war are directly working for the enemy,” he claimed.

In January, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced another reshuffle of the commanders leading the war in Ukraine, amid mounting criticism over its handling of the military operations in Ukraine.

Prigozhin has praised Gen. Surovikin for managing an orderly withdrawal of Russian forces in the southern Kherson region last year but has been critical of the larger handling by the Ministry of Defense and other top Russian generals of what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukrainian presidential palace on February 20, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

US President Joe?Biden?was?intently?focused?on?discussing the coming?months?of?fighting?when he sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr?Zelensky?in?Kyiv?on?Monday, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Their?talks?come at what Sullivan called a “critical juncture”?in?the war, as Russia prepares for a spring?offensive?and?as Ukraine hopes to retake territory seized over the past 12?months.

The US has hoped to help Ukraine consolidate its battlefield gains, sending steady shipments?of?arms?and?ammunition. But what lies ahead remains uncertain, as Russia appears to be regrouping.

As?Biden?flew from Washington to Europe, he was?intent?on?strategizing on how to make the most?of?his conversation with?Zelensky.

In?their?talks, the two leaders “spent?time talking about the coming?months?in?terms?of?the battlefield?and?what Ukraine need capabilities to be able to succeed?on?the battlefield,” Sullivan said.

“They talked about Ukraine’s needs?in?terms?of?energy,?infrastructure, economic support humanitarian needs.?And?they also talked about the political side?of?this,” he said.

Biden?was “excited” as made his surprise trip to Ukraine?on?Monday, a journey Sullivan described as “filled with real anticipation that this was an important moment.”

Sullivan said?Biden?“wanted to do it, characteristically, by delving?into the details by knowing the specifics?and?by being sure that he was going to make the most?of?every moment.”

Asked if?Biden?had to overrule anyone?on?his security team to make the trip, Sullivan declined to get?into details?of?the discussions but said that “the president proceeded with the confidence that his security team was able to bring risk to a manageable level.”

White House?officials also would not go?into details about the logistics?of?the president’s trip, saying that more details would come?once they “got the green light from the security folks.”

Russian opposition leader Alexei?Navalny?is seen on screens via a video link from the IK-2 corrective penal colony in Pokrov during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence in Moscow, Russia, on May 24, 2022.

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny?and his team published a detailed statement on their website Monday outlining what Navalny called is his political platform, ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As part of the platform, which he summarized in 15 points, Navalny calls for the?restoration of national borders as defined in 1991 and for returning Crimea to Ukraine. Navalny also called for paying reparations to Ukraine.

“However, the restoration of normal economic relations with the civilized world and the return of economic growth will allow us to do so without interfering with the development of our country,” he said.?

According to Navalny, “Russia is suffering a military defeat” in Ukraine and “it was the realization of this fact that changed the rhetoric of the authorities from claims that ‘Kyiv will fall in three days’ to hysterical threats of using nuclear weapons should Russia lose,” he claimed.?

“The lives of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have been senselessly ruined,” Navalny said.

“The final military defeat can be delayed at the cost of the lives of hundreds of thousands [of] additional reservists, but on the whole, it is inevitable,” he said.

King Charles III meets with Ukrainian recruits being trained by British and international partner forces on February 20, in Wiltshire, England.

King Charles III on Monday met with Ukrainian military recruits undertaking training by British and international forces in the South West of England.?

The five-week mission “delivers basic combat training over five weeks to Ukrainian recruits who will return to fight in Ukraine,” according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

Accompanied by British Chief of General Staff General Sir Patrick Sanders, King Charles also met with international military personnel “who have joined forces with the British Army,” to deliver training for Ukrainians in other areas of Britain, the statement said.?

While top congressional leaders have yet to weigh in on the visit, some House Republicans are criticizing President Joe Biden’s trip to Ukraine and his renewed support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion, undercutting Biden’s message of bipartisan support for Ukraine.?

In a surprise visit to Ukraine ahead of the one-year anniversary of the war between Ukraine and Russia, Biden met with Ukraine’s President Zelensky and emphasized broad, bipartisan support from members of Congress for Ukraine’s war effort.?

“For all the disagreement we have in our Congress on some issues, there is significant agreement on support for Ukraine,” Biden said.?

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene arrives for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on February 1.

But some House Republicans are subverting that bipartisanship in reactions to Biden’s trip on social media. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Biden’s trip “incredibly insulting” and said his visit demonstrates an “America Last” policy.?

“This is incredibly insulting. Today on our President’s Day, Joe Biden, the President of the United States chose Ukraine over America, while forcing the American people to pay for Ukraine’s government and war. I can not express how much Americans hate Joe Biden,” Greene said in a?tweet.?

Greene was one of 11 House Republicans who co-sponsored a “Ukraine Fatigue” resolution earlier this month. The resolution called for suspending military and financial aid to Ukraine.?

Other House Republicans used Biden’s trip to criticize Biden for prioritizing Ukraine’s defense over domestic policy issues like immigration.?

“Breathtaking that President Biden can show up in Ukraine to ensure their border is secure, but can’t do the same for America,” Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Scott Perry said in a?tweet.?

“So it takes two years for Joe Biden @POTUS to visit the war zone he created at our southern border, but then he goes to see another war zone he created in Ukraine,” North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy said in a?tweet.?

Despite the criticism from some House Republicans, others have urged President Biden to increase support for Ukraine. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Mike McCaul said on CNN’s State of the Union in an interview that aired Sunday that bipartisan support for Ukraine is “still very strong” and called on the Biden administration to increase support to avoid a “long, protracted war.”?

Upon arriving in Ukraine, Biden announced $500 million of additional assistance to Ukraine.

The visit of US President Joe Biden to Ukraine Monday is a “clear sign” of American commitment to supporting Ukraine, Marchin Przydacz, a top advisor to Polish President Andrzej Duda, told CNN on Monday.?

Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine came just ahead of his scheduled visit to Poland later on Monday. Przydacz said he is “looking forward to see him on Polish land.”

US President Joe Biden was presented with a range of options for a visit to Ukraine, but decided that a trip to Kyiv made?the most sense, a?source familiar with the matter said.

The president never seriously considered any other options other than the capital for his visit to Ukraine, the source said. If he was going to go to Ukraine, he wanted to go to the capital.

Biden was presented with other options for a visit elsewhere in Ukraine over the course of months of meticulous planning, but this source said that Biden ultimately determined that a visit to Kyiv made the most sense from a risk-reward standpoint.

As Biden was briefed over several months on the planning for a potential visit, the source said Biden only once expressed concern about the risk of a visit to Ukraine — but that was about the extent to which his visit could endanger others, rather than about his own safety. Other officials were obviously extremely concerned about Biden’s safety and prepared a series of security contingency plans.

In response to a question from CNN, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan declined to say whether Biden had to overrule Secret Service or military officials in order to proceed with a trip to Kyiv.

“He got a full presentation of a very good and very effective operational security plan. He heard that presentation, he was satisfied that the risk was manageable and he ultimately made a determination (to go),” Sullivan said.

US President Joe?Biden?meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Olena Zelenska at Mariinsky Palace during an unannounced visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

Pro-Russian military bloggers and journalists have criticized the Kremlin for not being able to prevent US President Joe Biden from visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Russian army veteran and former?Federal Security Service?(FSB) officer Igor Girkin said Biden could be taken all the way to Bakhmut and nothing would happen to him.?

“Wouldn’t be surprised if the grandfather (he is not good for anything but simple provocations anyway) is brought to Bakhmut as well… AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO HIM,” Girkin noted, ironically.?

Girkin has been critical of the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense for what he considers a “soft” approach toward Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.?

Russian Journalist Sergey Mardan struck a stronger tone, calling Biden’s visit a “Demonstrative humiliation of Russa.”

“Biden in Kiev (Russian spelling). Demonstrative humiliation of Russia,” Russian journalist Sergey Mardan wrote on his telegram channel. “Tales of miraculous hypersonics may be left for children. Just like spells about the holy war we are waging with the entire West.”?

“I guess there are lunch breaks in a holy war,” he added.?

A Telegram account managed by the Russian army and naval service members, Zapiski michmana Ptichkina,?noted ironically that Biden had reached Kyiv before Russian President Vladimir Putin.

There were others who were less critical.

Russia Military correspondent Yuri Kotenok claimed the air raid siren that rang out while Zelensky and Biden exited St. Michael’s Cathedral was a “sham,” while Boris Rozhin from the Center for Military-Political Journalism said Biden only visited because he was given assurances no one would shoot at him.?

“It is worth recalling that US presidents visited their puppets in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. We know how it ended for the United States,” Rozhin added.?

US President Joe Biden only decided on Friday to go ahead with a high-stakes, high-risk visit to Kyiv after huddling with top members of his national security team in the Oval Office.

A few hours before he departed, the United States informed Russia of the plans to visit the Ukrainian capital for “deconfliction purposes,” according to Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The Friday session in the Oval Office was the culmination of months of?work by a tiny handful of Biden’s top aides to plan the trip around the anniversary of the start of the war.

The planning included the chief of staff’s office, the National Security Council and the White House Military Office, with input from a small number of officials at the US Secret Service, the Pentagon and the Intelligence Community, according to deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.

Biden was regularly briefed on the plans for the trip, including threat assessments, as the visit came together.?

Discussions between the White House and the “highest levels of the Ukrainian government” helped bring the trip over the finish line.

“He was satisfied the risk was manageable,” Sullivan said.

US President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday was an “important” and “symbolic” visit, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told CNN’s Poppy Harlow on Monday.

“It’s a risky trip, it’s a tough decision, but it’s very important and it has symbolism… it shows the whole world that the United States supports Ukraine,” he said.

“It gives us much more energy to fight if we feel our friends behind us, it’s a very important message,” said the mayor.

Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars of assistance during his trip, including more ammunition and howitzers but it did not include anything new such as longer range missiles or fighter jets.

He added that Ukrainian soldiers have already shown the world their “will and spirit,” but this is not enough.

“It’s very important (to have) modern weapons… to be honest we depend (on the) help of our partners,” Klitschko said.

Residents of Kyiv welcomed US President Joe Biden’s visit to Ukraine’s capital, saying his presence in the country is meaningful.

“That really impressed me. He’s good, I wasn’t expecting his visit. I’m sure his visit means a lot,” 40-year-old Yuliya Ivanova said.

“Biden will be able to look at the situation in Ukraine from the inside, he will be able to talk to a lot of representatives of our government. He will look and see how difficult it is for us. I think we will be able to count on more US help.”

Tetyana Yevtushenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

Tetyana Yevtushenko, a 30-year-old doctor, also said Ukrainians were grateful for the President’s visit. “We hope it will give us support,” she said.

“It’s just something unbelievable that at a time like this the President of the United States is coming to Kyiv,” 48-year-old Ukrainian service-member Andrei Ketov added. “I think this visit will bring us ‘carrots,’ something good, we are having a very hard time right now.”

Andrei Ketov in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

“We need weapons and finances. We don’t have our own. And the Russians have a lot of everything,” he added.

Student Vitaly Dmyterchuk, 19, described the visit as “a very memorable day.”

“We argued among ourselves whether Biden would come or not. I didn’t believe he was coming,” he said. “This is a huge support for us, we know that in America we have a lot of support and help.”

Vitaly Dmyterchuk, right, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

“And so there is a great flow of weapons and humanitarian aid … But there hasn’t been such a large-scale war since World War II. And sometimes that aid is not enough. I know how soldiers on the front line suffer.”

Ilya Zelenko, a 20-year-old student, added: “I was very happy when I found out that Biden came, we expect even more support. Now we see a coalition around Ukraine, we want to see it strengthened, and (that) we (are) given even more weapons.”?

Students from Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv had traveled to Kyiv on Monday for a memorial day commemorating those who lost their lives in the 2014 Maidan Revolution, CNN’s Clarissa Ward told This Morning’s Poppy Harlow and Sara Sidner.

The students were looking at the wreaths placed at a wall outside the city’s St. Michael’s Church where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky?and US counterpart Joe Biden paid their respects just moments before.

The students were saying how excited they were that Biden had visited the country, but hope this follows with military support, Ward reported.

Ward is in Kyiv for the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on February 24. Then there were concerns that the capital would fall to Russian forces in days, if not weeks.

Almost one year later, Ward said: “Not only did Kyiv not fall, Kyiv is bustling, Kyiv is buzzing.”

“Let me tell you now Poppy, you can’t get a seat in a restaurant without a reservation here,” she added.

Ward added that, although this may not be indicative of what the rest of the country looks like, it is nevertheless “extraordinary” to witness how the capital has come to embody the country’s “defiance and resilience” in the face of Russian attacks.?

U.S. President Joe Biden signs the guest book during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukrainian presidential palace on February 20, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

President Joe Biden paid tribute to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “courage and leadership” in a message written on the guestbook at Mariinsky Palace, the official residence of the President of Ukraine.

“I am honored to be welcomed again in Kyiv to stand in solidarity and friendship with the freedom loving people of Ukraine Mr President,” Biden wrote, according to a picture taken by Vice Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov.

“Please accept my deepest respect for your courage and leadership. Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine). Joe Biden.”

President Joe Biden has now departed Ukraine’s capital, according to reporters traveling with him, concluding a historic visit.

He arrived around 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, before walking around central Kyiv and pledging the US’ continued support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations between his and US President Joe Biden’s teams in Kyiv were a major boost to his country.

“This conversation brings us closer to victory,” Zelensky said, speaking alongside Biden on Monday.

The Ukrainian leader also called Biden’s surprise visit the most important in the “history of the Ukraine-US relationship.”

“Ukrainians remember the focus, attention, the attitude that President Biden and the US have given to Ukraine,” Zelensky added.

“I thank you for this level of US-Ukraine cooperation,” he said.

Zelensky said he had discussed the supply of more advanced Western weapons to Ukraine, and cited the recent decision by the US to send Abrams tanks to the country as another defining moment.??

“The decision of the US on Abrams tanks has already presented a foundation for establishing a tank coalition and is of historic importance,” he said. “We’ve also talked about long-range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine – even though have not been supplied before.”

Police officers stand next to Mykhailivska Square in central Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

As traffic stood still in Kyiv on Monday morning, rumors were flying.

The talk of the town: a high-profile visitor is on the way. Nobody knew for sure who the VIP might be, but security preparations suggested it was a top-level visit; perhaps the highest level of all.

Multiple streets in the city center were shut down by police and the military presence was unusually high early on Monday, even for the capital city of a war-torn country.

The roads around St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in the heart of Kyiv were cleared overnight and sealed off early in the morning, causing traffic jams in the surrounding streets.

The plaza outside the church has become a popular spot for foreign dignitaries visiting the capital. Destroyed Russian tanks are on display there, next to a statue that’s been wrapped in sandbags to protect if from explosions.

Guests at the hotel overlooking the square were told photographing and filming was off the limits for the morning. They were warned internet connection and cellphone signal may be disrupted.

By now, the city is used to high-profile visitors, with a string of political leaders traveling there in recent months. But even so, the level of security — and excitement — in Kyiv were a clear indication that something significant was planned.

Then, at around noon local time, it was announced: US President Joe Biden was in the country.

He joined Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on a walkabout in Kyiv just as air raid sirens sounded across the city. Biden had arrived a few hours before, after completing a secret flight under cover of darkness.

US President Joe Biden made an unannounced trip to Kyiv early Monday for the first time since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.

Biden arrived in Kyiv at 8 a.m. local time (1:00 a.m. ET), according to reporters traveling with him inside the country, and was greeted by the US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink. His motorcade arrived at the Mariinsky Palace just after 8:30 a.m. local time. He was greeted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska.

“Thank you for coming,” Zelensky said, shaking Biden’s hand.

The pictures below show Biden’s meeting with Zelensky, which took place as air raid sirens could be heard ringing out while the two leaders walked around the city.

Here’s a look:

US President Joe Biden, right, is greeted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) during a visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

Biden walks next to Zelensky in front of St. Michaels Cathedral.

The leaders walk together in the Ukrainian capital on Monday.

Biden poses with Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky and first lady Olena Zelenska at Mariinsky Palace during the unannounced visit on February 20.

Biden and Zelensky attend a news conference in Kyiv on Monday.

US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

US President Joe Biden declared from Kyiv on Monday that a year after invading Ukraine, “Putin’s war of conquest is failing.”

“Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,” Biden said standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky.?“He thought he could outlast us. I don’t think he’s thinking that right now.”

“He’s just been plain wrong,” Biden said of Putin. “One year later, the evidence is right here in this room. We stand here together.”

Biden’s visit to Ukraine, his first since the invasion, was a highly symbolic moment meant to demonstrate lasting American support for the country and its people.

He harkened back to the start of the war, when the world was anxiously watching the buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine’s border.

In his speech, Biden recalled how he and Zelensky spoke by phone as “Russian planes were in the air and tanks were going across your border.”

“The world was about to change,” he said, recalling what Zelensky asked him to do on that phone call: “Gather the leaders of the world. Ask them to support Ukraine.”

“You said that you didn’t know when we’d be able to speak again. That dark night one year ago, the world was literally at the time bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden said. “Perhaps even the end of Ukraine.”

“One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” he declared. “The Americans stand with you and the world stands with you.”

Biden said that Kyiv has “captured a part of my heart.”

President Biden’s trip to Kyiv on Monday was shrouded in secrecy, a reflection of the steep security concerns of visiting an active war zone.

Air Force One departed Joint Base Andrews under cover of darkness at 4:15 a.m. ET on Sunday. Reporters aboard the plane were not allowed to carry their devices with them.

Biden’s public schedule didn’t reflect the trip, and White House officials repeatedly said last week that a visit to Ukraine was not in the works.?

On Saturday evening, before he departed, Biden went out to dinner with his wife in Washington. He wasn’t seen in public again until arriving in Kyiv on Monday morning.

Biden is traveling with a relatively small entourage, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon and personal aide Annie Tomasini.

President Zelensky first invited Biden to visit Kyiv a year ago, as Russian forces were massing on the border. As recently as last week, Zelensky said his invitation for Biden to visit Ukraine remained open, even as he acknowledged there were other means for them to speak.?

Biden visited Ukraine six times as vice president.?His last visit to Kyiv was in January 2017, days before leaving office. Before Monday, that visit remained the last highest-ranking visit to Ukraine, since neither Vice President Pence nor President Trump ever visited.

U.S. President Joe?Biden?and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visit to Saint Michael’s cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

CNN’s Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward described what she saw as US President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv earlier on Monday.

The pair arrived outside the city’s St. Michael’s Church, Ward told CNN’s Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, entering the building from behind before leaving about five minutes later just before air sirens began to wail.

The two leaders then walked out of the church together, following two soldiers who were carrying wreaths to a wall of the fallen, commemorating those who have lost their lives in combat.

Ward went on to say the two leaders stayed there for a moment to pay their respects before embracing each other, showing the “rapport” the leaders have, she said.?

Watch:

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00:46 - Source: CNN

US President Joe Biden with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukrainian Presidential Palace, Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

Sitting for talks with President Volodomyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday, Joe Biden laid out his rationale for visiting the Ukrainian capital as the war enters a second year.

“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about US support for Ukraine in the war,” the US President said. “The Ukrainian people have stepped up in a way that few people ever have in the past.”

Biden emphasized there was broad, bipartisan support in Washington for the Ukrainian cause, even as some Republicans balk at providing further assistance.

Biden arrived in Kyiv at 8 a.m. local time (1:00 a.m. ET), according to reporters traveling with him inside Ukraine.

“It’s good to be back in Kyiv,” Biden said when he arrived. He was greeted by the US Ambassador to Ukraine?Bridget Brink.

Biden’s motorcade arrived to the?Mariinsky Palace just after 8:30 a.m. local time (1:30 a.m.ET). He?was greeted at the entrance by Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska.?

“Thank you for coming,” Zelensky said shaking Biden’s hand.?“More importantly, how are the children?” Biden asked, while adding: “It’s amazing to see you.”

Asked about the significance of being in Kyiv, Biden noted it was his eighth visit to the city. “Each time more significant,” Biden said.?

He added that the purpose of his visit was to convey to Zelensky that the US is “here to stay.”?“We’re not leaving,” Biden said.

U.S. President Joe Biden visits St. Sophia Cathedral with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

US President Joe Biden has been itching to visit?Ukraine?for months, particularly after several of his counterparts in Europe all made lengthy train journeys to meet with Zelensky in Kyiv.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as former British leader Boris Johnson, have all made visits to the country to demonstrate their support.

Several of Biden’s top lieutenants, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, have also visited the Ukrainian capital to pledge new assistance. Senior administration officials, including CIA Director Bill Burns and top White House officials, visited Kyiv last month.

Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, paid her own surprise visit on Mother’s Day last year to a small city in the far southwestern corner of?Ukraine. She met with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska at a former school that was converted into temporary housing for displaced Ukrainians, including 48 children.

Yet security precautions had prevented Biden from making a similar trip. When he visited Poland in April last year, the White House did not even explore the potential for a trip across the border, even though Biden said he had voiced interest.

“They will not let me — understandably, I guess — cross the border and take a look at what’s going on in?Ukraine,” he said at the time.

U.S. President Joe Bidenmeets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 20.

US President Joe Biden has said he visited Kyiv to reaffirm the United States’ “unwavering” support for Ukraine, announcing new military aid and a fresh swath of sanctions on the historic trip.

“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 Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

The President confirmed another donation of US military equipment, and said that later this week his government “would announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine.”

Biden is set to visit Poland later this week as he marks the anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

President Joe Biden announced a half-billion dollars of additional assistance to Ukraine during a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday.

Biden, in joint remarks alongside Ukrainian President Zelensky, said the package would?include more military equipment, including artillery ammunition, more javelins and Howitzers.

Zelensky said he and Biden spoke about “long range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.”?

In remarks, Biden spoke about the?resilience of the Ukrainian resistance as the war enters its second year.

Biden met with Zelensky, as well as first lady Olena Zelenska, at Kyiv’s presidential palace on Monday.

The historic visit comes just days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country.

US President Joe Biden (R) walks next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) as he arrives for a visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited US President Joe Biden to visit Kyiv months ago, saying he believed it was important for the US leader to see the situation up close.

As recently as last week, Zelensky said his invitation for Biden to visit?Ukraine?remained open.

“President Biden and I meet occasionally. You know that we have invited the President. I think he will be happy to visit?Ukraine?if he has the opportunity. That would be an important signal to support our nation,” Zelensky said on February 15.

Zelensky traveled to Washington in December to meet Biden in the Oval Office and speak to?a joint?session of Congress?—?his first trip outside?Ukraine?since the war began.

US President Joe Biden with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukrainian Presidential Palace, Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20.

US President Joe Biden has made a surprise visit to Ukraine early Monday — his first trip to the country since Russia’s invasion began nearly one year ago.

Biden’s trip is a show of support for Kyiv that comes at a critical moment in the conflict, as Russia prepares for an expected spring offensive.?

Air raid sirens were activated across Ukraine on Monday morning, including in the capital Kyiv, the country’s authorities and CNN teams on the ground reported.?

“Please proceed to the shelters!” authorities in Kyiv said in their official Telegram channel.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin speaks at a news conference in Beijing on August 18.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said the United States “is not qualified to lecture” on the supplying of arms amid concerns from US officials that Beijing is considering providing “lethal support” to Russia’s military.

Speaking to reporters, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said: “It is the US side, not the Chinese side, that supplies a steady stream of weapons to the battlefield.”

“Who is calling for dialogue and peace and who is handing out knives and encouraging confrontation?”

Wang added that China continues to “urge peace and promote talks” to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and that it stands firmly on “playing a constructive role in promoting the de-escalation and cooling down the situation.”

Some context: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday he has concerns that Beijing is considering stepping up its partnership with Moscow by supplying Russia’s military with “lethal support.” Blinken raised the issue when he met with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday, officials said.

CNN previously reported that the US has begun seeing “disturbing” trendlines of late in China’s support for Russia’s military, and there are signs that Beijing wants to “creep up to the line” of providing lethal military aid to Russia without getting caught, according to US officials familiar with the intelligence.

The officials would not describe in detail what intelligence the US has seen suggesting a recent shift in China’s posture but said US officials have been concerned enough that they shared the intelligence with allies and partners.

The words of Ukrainian President?Volodymyr Zelensky?hours after?Vladimir Putin?launched his invasion on February 24, 2022.

They were prophetic. Many analysts expected Ukrainian resistance to crumble in days. But for a year, the Ukrainian military has faced down a much larger force, rolling back the Russians’ initial gains in Kharkiv and Kherson, holding the line in the hotly contested Donbas region.

In the process the Ukrainians have inflicted stunning losses on the Russian army, and laid bare the outmoded tactics, stale leadership and brittle morale of a force more impressive on parade than on the battlefield.

By contrast, Ukrainian units have proved nimble and adaptive, harnessing drone technology, decentralized command and smart operational planning to exploit their enemy’s systemic weaknesses.

And few would have bet that one year into this war, the vintage Ukrainian air force would still be flying.

Read the full analysis here.

Joe Biden speaks in Washington on February 16.

US President Joe Biden is heading to Poland for a two-day visit to mark the?one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, returning to the region as the war enters a volatile new phase without a clear path to peace.

Biden will arrive in Warsaw on Tuesday where he will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the White House said in a statement Sunday.

One year ago, Biden was urgently warning a sometimes-skeptical world that a massive buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine’s borders was the precursor to war. At the time, even some inside his own government questioned the ability of the Ukrainians to withstand an invasion, predicting the imminent fall of the capital Kyiv.

Instead, Ukrainian fighters have held the capital and continue to resist Russian attempts to control territory, helped by a massive influx of Western weapons, ammunition and equipment. The war has become a grinding conflict that US officials say could last for months or even years.

It has come to shape Biden’s foreign policy, the fallout reverberating in the global economy and leading to newfound unity between the United States and its European allies.

Biden’s aides have been planning for several weeks how they will mark the anniversary of the invasion, including potentially a major address. They hope to emphasize the resilience of the Ukrainian people while stressing the importance of unity in the uncertain months ahead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently preparing for an expected Russian offensive in the spring, appealing to Western governments for additional assistance and weaponry to help sustain the fight.

A year into Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the US has seen enough.

The declaration marks the strongest accusation yet from the US as it seeks to punish Moscow for its war of aggression.

The US government declared?last March?that members of the Russian armed forces had committed war crimes in Ukraine. President Joe Biden has gone as far as saying that atrocities at the hands of Moscow’s troops?qualify as “genocide.”

While the “crimes against humanity” determination is significant, it remains largely symbolic for now. It does not immediately trigger any specific consequences, nor does it give the US the ability to prosecute Russians involved with perpetrating crimes.

However, it could provide?international bodies, such as the International Criminal Court, with evidence to effectively try to prosecute those crimes.

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Two people were injured following Russian shelling of civilian infrastructure in numerous areas of the Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday, Mykola?Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region council said on Telegram.?

The regional head reported Russians also shelled Nikopol, Marhanets, Myrove and Velykomykhailivka communities with “heavy” artillery.?

Several residential buildings, gas pipelines and power grids were damaged in Myrove, he said.

Ukraine is “inflicting extremely tangible losses” on Russian troops in the strategic eastern town of Vuhledar, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Sunday.

The situation in the area is?“very difficult,” he added.?

Zelensky also noted that the situation around the southern region of Odesa is unchanged and “we are controlling all potential prospects.”?

The situation in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv meanwhile is?“completely under control, as well as along the entire northern border,” he said.?

New sanctions: Zelensky said?he?had?made “a new sanctions step against all those who fuel Russian aggression.”?

Zelensky implemented?a NSDC decision to impose sanctions on?an additional?333 Russian citizens and?the?Moscow Stock Exchange, a public joint-stock company.?

“The next EU sanctions package — the tenth one already — is now being prepared,” he said. “We are working with our partners to strengthen it.”

The US ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday that China would cross a “red line” if the country?decided to provide lethal military aid to Russia?for its invasion of Ukraine.

“We welcome the Chinese announcement that they want peace because that’s what we always want to pursue in situations like this. But we also have to be clear that if there are any thoughts and efforts by the Chinese and others to provide lethal support to the Russians in their brutal attack against Ukraine, that that is unacceptable,” Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN’s Pamela Brown on “State of the Union.”

As CNN previously reported, the US has begun seeing?“disturbing” trendlines?in China’s support for Russia’s military, and there are signs that Beijing wants to “creep up to the line” of providing lethal military aid to Russia without getting caught, US officials familiar with the intelligence told CNN.

The officials would not describe in detail what intelligence the US has seen suggesting a recent shift in China’s posture but said US officials have been concerned enough that they have shared the intelligence with allies and partners at the Munich Security Conference over the past several days.

US Secretary of State?Antony Blinken?raised the issue when he?met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday on the sidelines of the conference, officials said.

“The secretary was quite blunt in warning about the implications and consequences of China providing material support to Russia or assisting Russia with systematic sanctions evasion,” a senior State Department official told reporters.

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A destroyed school building is seen following an attack in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine on February 19.

Three civilians were killed and five others, including three children, were wounded by Russian shelling Sunday in southern Ukraine, local officials said.

The shelling hit the village of Burhunka in the Kherson region, the region’s military administration said in a Telegram post.

The three people killed were a mother, father and uncle from a family whose house was struck by the shelling, it said.

US Secretary of State?Antony Blinken said Sunday he has concerns over China’s support of Russia’s military, specifically that Beijing is considering supplying Moscow with “lethal support.”

“We’ve been watching this very closely,” Blinken told “Face the Nation” on CBS while in Munich.

CNN?previously reported?that the US has begun seeing “disturbing” trendlines of late in China’s support for Russia’s military, and there are signs that Beijing wants to “creep up to the line” of providing lethal military aid to Russia without getting caught, according to US officials familiar with the intelligence.

The officials would not describe in detail what intelligence the US has seen suggesting a recent shift in China’s posture but said US officials have been concerned enough that they shared the intelligence with allies and partners at the Munich Security Conference in Germany over the past several days.

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Two leading House Republicans have called on?President Joe Biden?to increase?military support to Ukraine?in its defense against Russia’s invasion and reiterated support on both sides of the aisle for continuing to fund the Ukrainian war effort.

Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told CNN’s Pamela Brown on “State of the Union” in a joint interview with House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner that aired Sunday that bipartisan support for Ukraine is “still very strong.”

But as the one-year anniversary of the war approaches, McCaul warned that hedging support for Ukraine could prolong the conflict, which could play into Russia’s advantages and allow anti-Ukraine dissent to build.

The US and its allies have already sent nearly $50 billion in aid and equipment to Ukraine’s military over the past year. To keep that up, and to rebuild its own stockpiles, the Pentagon is racing to re-arm,?embarking on the biggest increase in ammunition production in decades and putting portions of the US defense industry on a war-footing despite America technically not being at war.

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Chechen leader?Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Sunday that he is “seriously” planning to create his own private military company (PMC), inspired by the Russian mercenary?Wagner Group.

Kadyrov already has a private army often referred to as Kadyrovtsy, who are fighting for Russia in Ukraine.?

Kadyrov and Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin have been?publicly critical?of Russian commanders for military failures in Ukraine.

Some background:?While the Wagner Group has played a?key role?in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, it has come at a steep cost to human life. The?US government estimates?Wagner?has suffered more than 30,000 casualties, including roughly 9,000 fighters killed, during the conflict.

The group has relied heavily on convicts to fill out its ranks. “That doesn’t show any signs of abating,” a US National Security Council spokesperson said Friday, though Prigozhin claimed last week that he will?no longer recruit from prisons.

“They’re treating their recruits, largely convicts, as basically cannon fodder, throwing them into a literal meat grinder here, inhuman ways without a second thought,” said John Kirby, the NSC official.

CNN’s Sam Fossum contributed to this report.

Russian opposition leader?Alexey Navalny?is fond of a phrase, “the wonderful Russia of the future,” his shorthand for a country without President Vladimir Putin.

But in the year that has passed since the full-scale invasion of?Ukraine, Russia has gone back to a dark, repressive past.

Over the last 12 months,?Putin’s government?has crushed the remnants of Russia’s civil society and presided over his country’s first military mobilization since World War II. Political opponents such as?Navalny are in prison?or out of the country. And Putin has made it clear that he seeks to reassert Russia as an empire in which Ukraine has no place as an independent state.

The war in Ukraine drew a bright line under the period of High Putinism, a decade that began with?Putin’s controversial return?to the presidency in 2012. That era, in hindsight, was a prelude to the current war: Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed armed separatists in Ukraine’s Donbas region, while Putin’s technocrats worked on sanction-proofing the?Russian economy.

Since last February’s invasion, Putin has shrugged off?protests?and?international sanctions. Independent media and human rights groups have been branded as foreign agents or shut down entirely.

Russia is now in an uncertain new phase, and it’s clear there will be no rewind, no return to the status quo ante, for ordinary citizens.

So is Putin’s grip on power unchallenged? Rumors are now flying inside the country about another wave of mobilization. And in Moscow, signs of elite competition are beginning to emerge, even as some Russians are seeing through the cracks in the wall of state propaganda.

Read the full analysis here.