Biden and Putin to offer rival visions one year into Ukraine war

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Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are set to give duelling speeches Tuesday.— AFP/file
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are set to present duelling speeches Tuesday.— AFP/file

WARSAW: Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are set to present duelling speeches Tuesday promising two starkly differing takes on Russia’s Ukraine invasion, a day after the US president’s shock go to to Kyiv.

Biden met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday — pledging fresh arms deliveries and “unwavering” American assist — days earlier than the primary anniversary of Russian tanks rolling over the border.

“One 12 months later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” he mentioned on the Mariinsky Palace, the Ukrainian president’s official residence.

And on Tuesday, from Warsaw’s historic Royal Fort, Biden will “make it clear that the USA will proceed to face with Ukraine… for so long as it takes”, in response to Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby, who spoke to reporters final week.

In a go to to rally Washington’s jap European allies, Biden will even meet Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday.

He will even communicate by cellphone with the leaders of Britain, France and Italy, the White Home has mentioned. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due in Washington on March 3.

“You may hear messages within the president’s speech that can definitely resonate with the American individuals, definitely will resonate with our allies and companions, with out query resonate with the Polish individuals,” Kirby mentioned of the Warsaw handle.

“And I might suspect that you’re going to hear him messaging Mr Putin as effectively, in addition to the Russian individuals.”

Chinese language concern

Putin will communicate in Moscow a number of hours earlier, in response to the Kremlin, delivering a state-of-the-nation handle that might be largely dedicated to the battle.

In earlier addresses, he has railed in opposition to NATO’s perceived risk to Russia, and drawn on his nation’s historical past to buttress his rationale for launching the invasion, and sticking with it within the face of surprising Ukrainian resistance.

The Washington-based Institute for the Examine of Battle has mentioned Putin is “unlikely to announce measures for additional escalation of the warfare in Ukraine, main new Russian mobilization initiatives, or another vital coverage” within the speech, which is delivered to the legislature and televised on nationwide channels.

When it was launched, the so-called particular navy operation was deliberate to be a fast conquest, resulting in capitulation and the set up of a pro-Russian regime.

“Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,” Biden mentioned Monday. “He thought he might outlast us.”

“He is simply been plain flawed,” he added.

On Tuesday, China mentioned it was “deeply involved” concerning the warfare, which it mentioned was “intensifying and even getting uncontrolled”.

International Minister Qin Gan mentioned Beijing would “urge the nations involved to cease including gasoline to the hearth as quickly as attainable, to cease shifting the blame to China”, following US claims that Beijing could also be contemplating sending arms to Moscow.

China’s high diplomat, Wang Yi, is due in Moscow on Tuesday for talks, in his remaining cease of a European tour.

The Kremlin has mentioned Wang could meet Putin throughout his go to, in response to the official TASS information company.

In accordance with the newest estimates from Norway, the battle has wounded or killed 180,000 Russian troopers and 100,000 Ukrainian troops.

Different Western sources estimate the warfare has triggered 150,000 casualties on both sides.

New US navy help

America has supplied Ukraine with much more help than another NATO nation, with navy, financial, humanitarian and different help now exceeding $100 billion.

Throughout his Kyiv cease — the primary Ukraine journey by a US president since 2008 — Biden promised $500 million in contemporary arms deliveries, mentioning specifically artillery ammunition, howitzers and Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The identical day, Japan supplied $5.5 billion price of assist.

Biden’s go to was organised in situations of extraordinary secrecy.

He left Washington within the early hours of Sunday in a aircraft that had been parked discreetly beside a hangar at midnight with shades drawn. It landed in Poland on Sunday night.

He was pushed to the practice platform and shortly boarded the 10-hour in a single day service to Kyiv, arriving at 8:00 am native time.

Nationwide Safety Advisor Jake Sullivan mentioned Washington notified Russia concerning the journey “some hours earlier than his departure for deconfliction functions”.

‘Good signal’ for Ukrainians 

He mentioned it was “unprecedented” in fashionable instances for a US president to go to the capital of a rustic at warfare through which the US navy “doesn’t management the essential infrastructure”.

Kyiv residents mentioned they have been delighted.

“Because of this the People are clearly and irrevocably on our facet,” mentioned 50-year-old Oksana Shylo.

“It is a good signal for the Ukrainian individuals, for Ukraine’s victory,” mentioned businessman Vladyslav Denysenko, 27.

Zelensky mentioned he and Biden additionally mentioned the opportunity of supplying “long-range weapons” to Ukraine, a long-standing request from Kyiv that has been met with reticence in Washington, the place there’s concern that they might be used to strike deep inside Russian territory.

Zelensky hailed the go to as a key signal of assist.

“This dialog brings us nearer to victory,” he mentioned, calling the journey and the promise of further US arms provides “an unequivocal sign that Russian makes an attempt to win may have no probability”.

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