On Monday, Feb. 20, 2022, the world was shocked to see that President Biden had popped up in Kyiv, Ukraine. This comes at the perceived start of a new Russian offensive in the East of Ukraine, and continuous military buildup by both sides, with Russia digging new positions in the East and Crimea.

The continued military support coming from the United States and other NATO allies has been something that is crucial for the Ukrainian armed forces in successfully repelling the endless attacks on Ukraine’s territory. In recent days, the United States has supplied 31 Abrahams tanks, and other countries, such as the Czech Republic, have recently announced that they are supplying Ukraine with 81 new tanks as well. This flow of military goods, ranging from rocket systems, air defenses, heavy and light equipment is planned to be implemented in the future to help the fight continue.

Both Democrats and Republicans alike have shown great support for the continued aid for Ukraine, with senator Mitch McConnell saying on Fox News that “defeating the Russians in Ukraine is the single most important event going on in the world right now.” This was after the Fox News host had actually pointed out that many Americans are questioning why we would actually be supporting Ukraine so heavily monetarily. While in Kyiv, Biden said, “The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.” President Biden commended Ukraine on their protection of democracy and hard-fought battle, acknowledging the fact that while it has been a year since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv still stands. This is the first time in which an American president has been seen in a present warzone without an American military presence.

While it had been reported that the Russian government was informed of President Biden’s arrival and time in Kyiv, his travel plans were kept extremely confidential. However, it was revealed that he traveled by train to and from Poland. Reports state that Biden had not even made the official call to go to Kyiv until the Friday before his Monday visit, after long consultation with his advisors. While in Kyiv, Biden had talks with president Zelensky and helped with consulting military business.

This move to back Ukraine is something that is crucial for the Ukrainian government, but also for NATO as a whole. If the Ukrainian military is able to beat back Russian aggression in their country, this could domino into stopping Russian aggression in the area and allow for further geopolitical security in Central and Eastern Europe.