Joe Biden, the president of the united states has made his first trip to Ukraine's capital Kyiv since the beginning of the full-blown war between Russia and Ukraine.

The highly classified visit, which occurred as air raid sirens rang out around Kyiv as Biden walked together with President Volodymyr Zelensky around the St. Michael's Cathedral, comes at a critical point in the 12-month conflict, with Russia trying to prepare for an expected spring offensive and Ukraine hoping to retake territory soon.

PHOTO | COURTESY Zelensky and Biden

During the secretive meeting, president biden announced that half a billion dollars will be donated to Ukraine. The assistance will include military equipment such as artillery ammunition, more javelins and Howitzers adding that new sanctions will be imposed against Russia starting next week.

The united states of America and other Western countries have been rushing arms, tanks, and ammunition to Ukraine to alter the course of the war. Biden's visit to Ukraine shows that the American people support the people of Ukraine and Zelensky, who have spent the previous year attempting to rally the world behind his country and appealing for greater levels of assistance.

Biden's trip to the war-torn country has been a top secret due to security concerns as the country and the city is under heavy bombardment from the Russian military. Reporters who accompanied the president were prohibited from carrying their equipment on board.

President Zelensky has been calling on western countries to increase their sanctions on Russia in an effort to make chem back down and withdraw from Ukraine.

A report by the united nations high commissioner for human rights reported that over 7000 civilians have lost their lives since the war in Ukraine began and 458 of them were children. Russia has, however, been relentless in the bombardment of Ukraine.