A successful summit between Biden and Zelensky – but the elephant in the room remains

Editorial: Without planes, the whole effort of the last year, including tragic civilian casualties, stands at risk of being wasted

The mutual respect, even affection, between the president and his Ukrainian counterpart was evident (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)

As long as it takes.” Joe Biden’s pledge of long-term support in what looks increasingly likely to be a long-drawn-out conflict in Ukraine was obviously as welcome in Kyiv as his arrival was a well-kept secret.

The mutual respect, even affection, between the president and his Ukrainian counterpart was evident throughout the surprise visit. It was a brave and bold gesture of support from the United States. It was also exceptionally well timed, coming as the Russian invasion approaches its one-year mark.

Mr Biden’s Ukraine meeting comes after highly successful visits to Washington, London, Paris and Brussels by Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as a further show of Western solidarity at the Munich Security Conference. President Biden has powerfully reiterated Western policy in Kyiv just as Vladimir Putin prepares to address the Russian people in his annual address, and a few days before China unveils its Ukraine peace plan. He has thus firmly lobbed the diplomatic ball into the Russian and Chinese courts.