US President Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Kyiv amid air raid sirens as Russia-Ukraine war nears one-year

United States President Joe Biden on Monday made a surprise visit to Kyiv ahead of the first anniversary of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Biden met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy and assured of support in fighting off Russia’s invasion.

"This is so much larger than just Ukraine… it's about freedom and democracy writ large," Biden said.

Biden also told Zelenskiy that Americans can't fathom Russia's "barbaric" actions in Ukraine.

Biden was welcomed by Zelenskiy and his wife Olena Zelenska. Air raid sirens also went off as the US President made his way inside Zelenskiy's official residence.

In a series of tweets, Biden said: “As we approach the anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I'm in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

"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.

"Over the last year, the United States has built a coalition of nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific to help defend Ukraine with unprecedented military, economic, and humanitarian support – and that support will endure.

Biden will go to Warsaw in Poland next to meet with President Andrzej Duda, the White House informed in a statement on Sunday.