good monday morning to you i m jim sciutto. a significant day in ukraine and europe as the u.s. president joe biden makes a surprise visit to the war-torn capital of kyiv as air raid sirens sounded around him. [ air raid sirens ] walking side by side there in the capital with ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy, president biden with this visit sending a strong message to ukraine and to russia, it is his first trip to the country since russia invaded ukraine nearly a year ago. cnn has learned the president made the final decision only on friday to make the unannounced visit, this after multiple invitations from zelenskyy. this morning, the ukrainian president says that biden s visit leaves ukraine, quote, closer to victory. calling it the most important visit to his country in the history of u.s./ukraine relations. during a news conference, president biden announced a fresh swath of sanctions against russia as well as pledging another half billion dollars in military aid,
on previous visits they would have pictures visited in the protests in 2014. that death toll, those pictures numbering in the dozens. of course now a year into this war, the number of ukrainian dead numbering in the thousands. all those faces. clarissa ward in kyiv, thank you so much. joining me now to discuss, alexander vinman, former european affairs director for the national security council, i should note born in kyiv, ukraine, himself before immigrating here, becoming a u.s. citizen and joining the u.s. military. lieutenant colonel, good to have you on this morning. the president walked wartime, air raid sirens signaling behind him. what is the significance of this in your view to ukraine? i m proud of the president for visiting. this is probably the most important visit that a president has paid to ukraine the fifth visit of a president since the independence 1991, bill clinton visited three times, george bush visited once, actually days