Biden's visit to Kyiv, new aid for Defense Forces: highlights of the day

Biden's visit to Kyiv

US President Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv on February 20 for an unannounced visit. This is his first visit to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war and since the beginning of his presidential term in 2021.

Before Biden's visit, the US held "basic communication" with Russia to avoid incidents. According to media reports, American reconnaissance aircraft also monitored Kyiv from Polish airspace.

In Kyiv, Biden gave a speech announcing a new package of military aid to the Defense Forces, as well as new sanctions against Russia.

The US State Department officially announced the new weapons for Ukraine after Biden's departure. The package includes ammunition for HIMARS systems and howitzers, as well as Javelin man-portable anti-tank missile systems, anti-tank weapons, and air surveillance radars.

Financial assistance

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced $5.5 billion in financial assistance for Ukraine. And the European Union is launching the Digital Transformation for Ukraine project and allocating 17.4 million euros. This money will be used, among other things, to develop digital services and the Diia app.

Navalny recognizes Crimea as Ukrainian

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has recognized that occupied Crimea is the territory of Ukraine. In 2014, he claimed that Crimea would remain part of Russia and advised Ukrainians "not to deceive themselves," although he admitted that the peninsula "was seized in an outrageous violation of all international norms." In an interview with a Russian radio station, Navalny said that Crimea is not a "sandwich" to be "returned back and forth." Subsequently, this phrase went viral.

Other news

• King Charles III of the United Kingdom met with Ukrainian soldiers trained by British and international partner forces.
• The man who tried to steal Banksy's graffiti faces up to 12 years in prison. His case has been referred to court.
• In 2022, law enforcement sent indictments to court against 55 people in the so-called Maidan cases. This figure increased by a quarter compared to the previous year.
• The ECtHR has merged two cases of Ukraine against Russia, which will save at least a year or two in the investigation of the case of the full-scale invasion.
• On the night of February 19, the Kyiv-Warsaw train derailed, and law enforcement officials launched an investigation.