Ahead of the anniversary of the war, Biden strolls through Ukraine's capital.

Before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion, US Vice President Joe Biden paid an unexpected visit to central Kyiv on Monday and vowed they must continue to help Ukraine as long as necessary. It was evident that the visit was scheduled to upstage the Kremlin.

On a sunny winter morning punctuated by air raid sirens, Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, dressed in green military fatigues, strolled side by side to a gold-domed cathedral.

"Almost a year ago, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin invaded what he believed to be a weak Ukraine and a divided West. He thought he might outlive us all. But he was utterly wrong, "stated Biden.

The price Ukraine has had to pay is incredibly steep. There have been far too many sacrifices. We anticipate that there will be challenging days, weeks, and years ahead.

Burnt-out Soviet tanks outside the cathedral stand as a reminder of Moscow's initial invasion's aborted attempt to seize the city. Its men advanced quickly towards Kyiv's ramparts, only to encounter unexpectedly ferocious opposition.

Since then, the Russian invasion has murdered tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians on both sides, left cities in ruins, and forced millions of people to flee. While the West has promised Kyiv tens of billions of dollars in military help, Russia asserts that it has annexed about a fifth of the country.

The American president pledged additional equipment costing $500 million, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, air defense radars, and harsher sanctions against Russia.

The most significant visit in the history of relations between the United States and Ukraine, according to Zelenskiy, is the president of the United States' first trip to Ukraine in 15 years.

Russian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba described the trip as a message that "no one is afraid of you!"

It was planned to overshadow Putin, who was scheduled to deliver a powerful speech on Tuesday outlining the objectives for the second year of what he now refers to as a proxy war against the military strength of Washington and the transatlantic military alliance NATO.

The Kremlin would surely see this as evidence that the United States has staked its future on Russia's tactical defeat in the struggle and that the rivalry has unavoidably devolved into a war between Russia and the West, according to Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya.

Aggressive Winter

As Moscow sent thousands of conscripts and mercenaries into a winter offensive, the anniversary has acquired more than just symbolic value. In the eyes of the West, it serves as the primary impetus for the war's deadliest phase.

With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi coming to the Russian capital for talks on Monday, Moscow appeared to receive its diplomatic support signal. China signed a "no limits" friendship deal with Russia weeks before the invasion but has maintained its neutral stance in public.

Washington has recently expressed concern over Beijing's potential to start arming Moscow. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that the United States was "in no position to make demands of China."

The Donbas industrial zone, which comprises two provinces in eastern Ukraine, is governed by Russia. It has conducted raids from Kreminna in the north down to Vuhledar in the south, scoring its most essential successes close to the mining city of Bakhmut.

Kyiv has recently committed primarily to defense on the battlefield, claiming to be inflicting significant fatalities on the advancing Russian forces. Kyiv is absorbing a substantial infusion of Western hardware in the coming months for a planned counteroffensive.