>>> Good evening.
I’m Pamela brown in for Erin
Burnett tonight.
Welcome to a special edition of
“Outfront.”
And tonight, ready for anything,
Ukraine’s military preparing for
provocative acts by rucha to
mark the one-year anniversary of
its invasion.
The warning as president Biden
made an unprecedented surprise
visit to Kyiv to meet with
president zelenskyy, sending a
painful reminder to Putin of how
his invasion plans have failed.
The visit also stinging Russian
troops already dealing with
major morale issues.
A telegram account managed by
Russian military bloggers noting
Biden has done something Putin
has not, saying, quote, almost a
year after the beginning of the
special military operation, we
are waiting in the Russian city
of Kyiv for the president of the
Russian Federation but not for
the president of the united
States.
And the man Putin has turned to
in hopes of winning this war is
also now complaining he lacks
the necessary equipment.
Yevgeny prigozhin, the head of
the Wagner group, the brutal
private mercenary group, saying
this.
>> Translator: All the questions
I raised about ammunition,
unfortunately, stay completely
unresolved.
And it is the most serious
problem.
I’m unable to solve this problem
despite all my connections,
contacts, and everything is
sinking and sticking.
>> But Russia still showing no
signs of retreat at all,
including in Ukraine’s eastern
donetsk region, which is under
constant shelling as Putin looks
for any claim to victory just
hours before a major speech to
his country.
We have reporters tonight in
Ukraine and Russia.
Fred pleitgen is in Moscow.
But let’s start with Alex
Marquardt in Kyiv.
Alex, what is the latest there
on the ground where you are?
>> Reporter: Well, Pamela,
president Biden is now back
across the border.
He is in Warsaw tonight.
He was here in Kyiv not just at
a symbolic moment, because we
are marking the first
anniversary of Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine later this week, but
at a strategic moment as well.
This is a real inflexion point
in this conflict.
Ukraine is expected in the
coming weeks to mount a new
counteroffensive, to try to take
back territory.
Likely in the southern part of
the country.
That is what at least some of
the $500 million military aid
package was going to be aimed at
that was announced today at
near-term offensive objectives.
At the same time, Pamela, we are
starting to see the early stages
of a new Russian offensive on at
least four different axes in the
eastern part of the country.
It is not going well for them.
They are losing a lot of men.
Now, both offensives due to
start early as this war enters
its second year.
Pamela?
Russian forces trying, and so
far, failing to make real
headway in the opening stages of
a new offensive in eastern
Ukraine.
A devastating toll on both sides
in the months-long battle for
back multiwhere Ukraine is
mostly facing mercenaries and
convicts from the private Wagner
group.
Taking the time to thank
president Joe Biden for his
historic visit to Ukraine.
>> Translator: This is the most
powerful message of support for
Ukraine at this moment.
>> Reporter: In the capital, the
U.S. And Ukrainian presidents
seemingly undeterred by an air
raid siren trying to show the
world they are in lockstep.
Together briefly visiting St.
Michael’s church before emerging
to lay a pair of wreaths.
The Ukrainian and American flags
in front of a wall of portraits
of soldiers who died in the
fight with Russia.
Biden keen to remind Russian
president Vladimir Putin of his
failures in the past year.
>> Putin thought Ukraine was
weak and the west was divided.
As you know, Mr. President, I
said to you at the beginning,
he’s counting on us not sticking
together.
He thought he could outlast us.
I don’t think he’s thinking that
right now.
>> Reporter: While zelenskyy
called the moment the most
important in the history of the
u.s./ukraine relationship.
>> Translator: This is the visit
in this most difficult period
for Ukraine when Ukraine is
fighting for our own liberty.
Today our negotiations were very
fruitful.
They were very important and
crucial.
>> Reporter: Negotiations about
continued military aid.
Today president Biden announcing
an almost half-billion dollars
aid package for Ukraine,
including ammunition, and air
defenses.
But big-ticket items that
Ukraine wants, like longer-range
missiles and fighter jets still
up for discussion.
>> Translator: This conversation
brings us closer to victory.
>> Reporter: This surprised
unprecedented visit on the eve
of a bloody anniversary.
Extreme secrecy shrouding
Biden’s journey.
No word, but there were signs,
deserted streets and a heavy
police presence suggesting a
prominent arrival.
President Biden quietly left
Washington for Poland just after
4:00 A.M. Under the cover of
darkness, and after a long train
ride across western Ukraine,
arrived to warm smiles and
laughter from Ukraine’s first
couple.
His feelings left in a
hand-written message about
solidarity and friendship, which
was echoed on the streets of
Kyiv.
>> Translator: It is support for
us and a message for the
Russians that this issue must be
resolved and Ukraine must win.
We hope that his visit will
speed up the events.
>> Reporter: And, Pamela, the
white house says that they
warned the Kremlin that Biden
would be here in Ukraine several
hours before he arrived, part of
what they call the deconfliction
process.
Now, national security adviser
Jake Sullivan, who was with
Biden, he did not say what the
message was to the Kremlin, nor
what their response was.
But it was clear they did not
want anything to happen for
Biden while he was here for
almost 24 hours in Ukraine.
