- President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday.
- Ukraine's foreign minister said the visit showed Vladimir Putin that "no one is afraid of you!"
US President Joe Biden's visit to the Ukrainian capital on Monday showed Russian President Vladimir Putin that he is not feared by anyone, Ukraine's foreign minister said.
Dmytro Kuleba said the visit had been "conducted in spite of everything for the sake of Ukraine's victory and all the free world. It is a clear signal to the swamp - no one is afraid of you!"
Biden made the surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday, after his team denied that he would visit Ukraine while travelling to neighboring Poland. Biden is due to travel to meet Poland's prime minister next.
Kuleba described Biden's visit as a "victory" for the Ukrainian people in a statement on Facebook on Monday, as well as a victory for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Biden used the trip to Kyiv to affirm US support for Ukraine, including announcing additional funding for weapons, and said that Putin had underestimated Ukraine and its allies.
"When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong," Biden said.
The visit is Biden's first to the country since Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, and comes just four days before the one-year anniversary of the conflict.
Ukraine and Western officials have expressed fears that Russia could mark the anniversary by ramping up its military efforts or launching a major new offensive.
The war has moved away from Kyiv since Russian forces were driven from the city's outskirts early in the war. But the capital has still been struck by Russian missiles and drones, and the city's mayor has warned that Russia may try again to capture it.
Biden's aides were afraid of him making such a trip before he arrived, Politico reported.
Russia recently launched a new offensive to try to take more Ukrainian territory, but so far has made little progress.
Other world leaders have also visited Kyiv since Russia's invasion began, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.