The small team that travelled with the President, including his closest aides, a medical team, and security officers, made the trip to Kyiv on Air Force One, which took off at 04:15 EST on Sunday morning

US President Joe Biden made an unexpected trip to Ukraine's capital Kyiv, a city regularly under attack by Russian-backed separatists. The visit was described by White House officials as "unprecedented in modern times," as it was a surprise trip without the heavy US military presence that typically accompanies presidential visits to war zones.

The visit was a risky move for President Biden, who spent over 10 hours on a train to reach the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Despite widespread speculation about a possible trip to Ukraine, the White House had denied any planned stops outside of Poland. Only a handful of the president's top aides were aware of the visit, and the final decision to go was made only a few days before.

The visit to Ukraine by President Joe Biden was planned for months by a handful of his top aides, but the final decision to make the trip to Kyiv was only taken on Friday.

The President's advance schedule had two lengthy gaps in his itinerary, which fueled speculation that he might be planning a visit to Ukraine. However, reporters at the daily White House press briefings were told that there was no meeting scheduled with Ukrainian President Zelensky and no stops planned outside Warsaw "right now". Biden was scheduled to fly to Warsaw on Monday evening for a two-day trip.

The small team that traveled with the President, including his closest aides, a medical team, and security officers, made the trip to Kyiv on Air Force One, which took off at 04:15 EST on Sunday morning.

To keep the visit a secret, only two journalists were allowed to travel with the president. They were sworn to secrecy and had their mobile phones taken away. Air Force One, which usually accompanies the president, was not used on this trip, as the president wanted to keep the visit as low-key as possible.

Russian Officials Kept In The Know

The surprise visit was a message to Russia that the Biden administration is committed to helping Ukraine in its fight against Russian-backed separatists. The US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Russia was notified of the trip a few hours before Biden's departure for deconfliction purposes.

Biden's Commitment To Leadership And Message Home

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said that the surprise visit "should leave no doubt in anyone's mind that Joe Biden is a leader who takes commitment seriously." President Biden's decision to travel to a city under attack by Russian-backed separatists, without the usual heavy US military presence, demonstrates his commitment to the region and his leadership.

Furthermore, the visit was also designed to counter the minority of Republican voices who question how long the US can continue supporting Ukraine. While there has been a recent softening of American support for Ukraine, Biden's visit was a vivid reminder to the American people that the US is committed to standing with its allies, especially in times of crisis.