WARSAW: US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday Ukraine “stands strong” a year after the Russian invasion and that Moscow would never defeat its neighbour, after the Kremlin suspended a landmark nuclear arms control treaty over the West’s support for Kyiv.

Hours before Mr Biden spoke in Poland, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended the 2010 New START treaty with Washington.

Mr Biden proclaimed “unwavering” support for Kyiv and a commitment to bolstering Nato’s eastern flank facing Russia, while rejecting Moscow’s contention that the West was plotting to attack Russia. “The West is not plotting to attack Russia as Putin said today.”

Speaking a day after his surprise trip to the Ukrainian capital, Biden said: “Kyiv stands strong, Kyiv stands proud, it stands tall and most importantly it stands free”.

“When President Putin ordered his tanks to roll into Ukraine, he thought we would roll over. He was wrong.”

“A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never be able to ease the people’s love of liberty, brutality will never grind down the will of the free,” he said.

“Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia — never,” Biden told the crowd of several thousand people gathered outside Warsaw’s Royal Castle.

“There should be no doubt: our support for Ukraine will not waver, Nato will not be divided and we will not tire.”

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2023