The visit of the US President to Kiev came as a complete surprise to the public. In fact, it is being prepared well in advance in Washington. While the capital's press thinks Biden is having a comfortable weekend, he's already sitting in Air Force One in the direction of Ramstein.
US President Joe Biden shrouded the media and rumor mill in his native Washington in utter ignorance over the weekend for his secret trip to Kiev in the midst of the war. Possibly the world's most closely watched man looked completely at ease as he turned up in the Ukrainian capital to pay a visit to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, getting Biden to Kiev required extraordinary military, diplomatic and media choreography. And at the heart of the mission was the elaborate deception of the public.
Biden's flight to Poland just before the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine had been planned for a long time. The Boeing 747, which he uses as Air Force One for long-haul flights, a entourage of 13 journalists and the cohort of helpers and security forces were ready. While everything was set for a historic trip, Biden appeared to be having a relaxing weekend. Afternoon service on Saturday followed by a visit to the National Museum of American History with First Lady Jill Biden, then dinner at a cozy restaurant named "Red Henne".
Sunday? The White House spoke of a rest day with an empty appointment calendar. At least that's what everyone should believe - including the hundreds of journalists responsible for reporting on the White House. The 80-year-old Biden, a handful of senior employees and just two journalists were already on their way to Europe by plane. Exactly how they got to Kiev only became known on Monday evening, after Biden had left Ukraine again.
From Washington, the machine flew for about seven hours to the US air force base in Ramstein to refuel there. Then it was on to Poland. Like many European politicians before him, Biden, a self-confessed rail fan, traveled from Poland to Kiev by train. According to the journalists who accompanied him, the ten-hour train journey took place under the strictest security precautions, and the train stopped a few times during the night before reaching the Ukrainian capital in the morning.
A flight was apparently out of the question given the daily air raids on Ukraine. It is not known whether any US units traveled to Ukraine by land or air to protect the president, or whether the Ukrainian army, which is in close contact with the relevant US contacts, secured Biden's route.
However, the White House later announced that contact had been made with Moscow shortly before the trip. This was presumably in the form of a warning. "We have notified the Russians that President Biden will be traveling to Kiev," said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who was accompanying the president. The notification was made "a few hours" before Biden's departure to avoid conflicts. Due to the "sensitive nature of the exchange," Sullivan said he declined to elaborate on the nature of the notification or Russia's response. The White House plans to release details at a later date.
This is a "historic visit, unique in modern times" in a country at war, with no US troops on the ground, Sullivan said. US Presidents have visited danger zones before, most notably during the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In these cases, however, the presidents ended up in huge military bases already controlled by the US Army.
When people in the United States switched on the news broadcasts on Monday morning local time, Biden was already taking stock of his short visit to Ukraine: "Kiev has conquered part of my heart," the US President wrote on Twitter.
