A "complicated and dangerous" visit How did Biden arrive on his secret trip to Kiev?

A White House official revealed how US President Joe Biden arrived, Monday, in the Ukrainian capital, on a secret visit through which he seeks to confirm Washington's support for Kiev, as the conflict with Ukraine approaches its second year on February 24.

A White House official said Monday that US President Joe Biden traveled on a train from the Polish border to Kiev on a journey that took nearly 10 hours.

He added that the White House deliberately, for security reasons, published an agenda for Biden showing his presence in Washington, while he was on his way to Poland.

He continued, "The White House coordinated with Russia regarding Biden's visit to Ukraine," and that this visit "was the most complex and risky in the history of American presidents."

He pointed out that "Biden wanted to deliver a clear message from Kiev confirming the long-term American commitment to support Ukraine."

For its part, the New York Times said that Biden arrived after taking trains for hours, coming from the Polish border, as part of a secret visit that was not previously announced.

This visit was kept secret for “security reasons,” according to US sources, as Biden left Washington without announcing the matter.

And the US President moves exclusively through the "Air Force One" plane, which has a high level of fortification, but his trip to Ukraine required that he take the train.

And the US President left Washington for Poland without announcing the matter, while he had gone out with his wife to have dinner outside the White House, in a step rarely taken.

Meanwhile, it was known from before that Biden would be in the Polish capital, Warsaw, on Tuesday morning, for a two-day visit.

US officials have repeatedly denied an intention to announce an upcoming visit by Biden to Kiev while he is in Poland.

US President Joe Biden arrived in Kiev on Monday, on a visit that was not previously announced, days before the first anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine that began on February 24, 2022.

Biden made remarks and met his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the Mariinsky Palace to announce an additional half-billion dollars in US aid as the conflict drags on.

Sirens sounded across the Ukrainian capital during Biden's visit to Kiev, but there were no reports of missile or air strikes from Russia, according to Reuters.

"As we approach the first anniversary of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kiev today (Monday) to meet with President Zelensky and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity," Biden said.