“One year later,Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands.”

Biden’s words were made much more powerful by the accompanying imagery complete with the blare of air raid sirens added to the significance of the occasion. Ukrainian officials had been warning that Russia was planning a large-scale missile bombardment to be timed to the one-year anniversary of the war.

The threat of the erosion of support for Kyiv within Europe remains real. Currently,it lies only at the fringes,but another six months of heavy casualties and constant demands for more and more aid will likely test the patience of some nations,who argue a peace deal must be brokered.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi,now part of a power-sharing government in Rome,lashed out at Zelensky last week for actions he said have led to death and devastation in Ukraine.

Berlusconi – a long-time friend and ally of Putin – also called on Washington to step in and use the funds to rebuild Ukraine to stop Zelensky’s “attack” against the “two autonomous republics of the Donbas”.

“We are witnessing the devastation of his country and the slaughter of its soldiers and civilians”,Berlusconi said. “So,I judge this gentleman’s behaviour very,very negatively”.

Zelensky,who visited London,Paris and Brussels last week to ensure his plight remains front-of-mind,sent a not-so-subtle message to FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macron at the weekend,saying he was wasting his time trying to establish a dialogue with Putin,who was lost in “the dream of rebuilding the former Soviet empire”.

Macron has proposed negotiating with Putin,saying that it was essential to defeat Russia in the war in Ukraine,but without humiliating Moscow.

“I want Russia to be defeated in Ukraine,and I want Ukraine to be able to defend its position,” Macron said in Munich. “I am convinced that,in the end,this will not conclude militarily.”

Zelensky,in response,said he’d come to the conclusion that Russian attitudes were not going to be changed by talking. And,thankfully,the liberal democracies of the world agree that appeasing Putin will simply not work.

By visiting Kyiv,Biden has made American support for Ukraine the centrepiece of his argument for a revitalised alliance in Europe and reassured allies that his administration remained committed.

As he wrote on Twitter:“When Putin launched his invasionnearly one year ago,he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.”

The besieged citizens of Ukraine can only hope he is right.

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