| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral during a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday, Feb. 20. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | “JOSEPH BIDEN, welcome to Kyiv!” With those words in a Telegram post, Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY announced Biden’s surprise arrival in the war zone following a 10-hour train ride from Poland. It was a trip months in the works, but President JOE BIDEN and a small cadre of administration officials made the decision final in a meeting on Friday — setting into motion a complex plan with substantial risks for Biden’s safety, political standing and international relations. While many presidents have gone to active war zones — GEORGE W. BUSH and BARACK OBAMA went to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and DONALD TRUMP made a Thanksgiving-timed trek to the latter country in 2019 — those visits have typically happened within secure military installations or in territories under U.S. control. Kyiv, by contrast, is the ongoing target of a missile offensive by Russia — one expected to increase in ferocity as the two nations mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion later this week. “The message of the visit was unambiguous: Ukraine is safe enough for an American president to visit despite the missile strikes, drone attacks and trench warfare initiated by VLADIMIR PUTIN,” write Alex Ward and Jonathan Lemire. “It was risky, and it should leave no doubt in anyone's mind that Joe Biden is a leader who takes commitment seriously,” White House comms director KATE BEDINGFIELD told reporters this morning. “But this was a risk that [he] wanted to take.” Early yesterday morning, Biden secretly departed Washington on a flight with a much smaller footprint than the typical presidential pomp. Publicly, the White House maintained as recently as last night that Biden would leave D.C. on Monday and fly to Poland for a speech marking the anniversary of the invasion. The trip was executed under a cloak of secrecy for obvious security reasons. White House aides say the planning process was kept with a very small array of aides in the White House, Pentagon, the Secret Service and the intel community who made threat assessments.
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Biden greets Zelenskyy and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska. | Evan Vucci/Pool via AP Photo | Still, on the ground in Ukraine, “[r]eports started to circulate ahead of the visit that Biden was on his way as security preparations became obvious in and around the Ukrainian capital. U.S. military jets were seen circling near the Polish border and Kyiv residents posted videos on social media of lockdowns in the city center and near the U.S. Embassy,” Alex and Jonathan report. This morning, national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN said that Russia was given a heads up “some hours before” Biden’s visit “for deconfliction purposes.” But the trip is almost certain to elicit a response from Moscow. WSJ notes that “Biden's visit … comes as China’s top diplomat, WANG YI, is scheduled to visit Moscow for talks that are also likely to cover the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will counter Mr. Biden’s messages in Poland on Tuesday by delivering a major national address on the same day.”
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Biden walks with Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo, Pool | NYT: “[Biden and Zelenskyy] stepped out into the streets of Kyiv even as an air-raid siren sounded, a dramatic moment captured on video that underscored the investment the United States has made in Ukraine’s independence. ‘One year later, Kyiv stands,’ Mr. Biden declared at Mr. Zelensky’s side in Mariinsky Palace, the gilded ceremonial home of the Ukrainian president. ‘And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands.’ … “Mr. Biden arrived in Ukraine’s capital at a pivotal moment of the war, both at home and abroad. Some of America’s staunchest allies have pressed Ukraine to begin negotiating a peace deal that might involve giving up territory to Russia. And in the United States, the newly installed House speaker, KEVIN McCARTHY, and some of his fellow Republican lawmakers have demanded an end to what they call ‘a blank check’ for the war effort. … Mr. Biden sought to reassure Ukrainians: ‘For all the disagreement we have in our Congress on some issues, there is significant agreement on support for Ukraine.’”
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Biden walks with Zelenskyy at St. Michaels Golden-Domed Cathedral. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | AP: “Biden spent more than five hours in the Ukrainian capital … In Kyiv, Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance — on top of the more than $50 billion already provided — including shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but no new advanced weaponry. … Zelenskyy said he and Biden spoke about ‘long-range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.’ But he did not detail any new commitments. ‘Our negotiations were very fruitful,’ Zelenskyy added.”
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President Joe Biden participates in a wreath laying ceremony at a memorial wall in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday, Feb. 20. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | BBC: “‘Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,’ [Biden said]. ‘[H]e’s counting on us not sticking together. He was counting on the inability to keep Nato united. He was counting on us not to be able to bring in others to the side of Ukraine. He thought he could outlast us. I don’t think he’s thinking that right now.’" An early reaction from National Review: “Biden’s Secret Trip to Kyiv Took Guts”
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Mina discovered an interest in software while working as an Amazon warehouse associate. The Amazon Technical Academy helped her turn that interest into a career. Now Mina is a software development engineer at Amazon and earning 200% more income. Learn more. Sponsored by Amazon   | | | Good Monday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza. HAPPY MONDAY — Alexis Coe in NYT: “George Washington Would Hate Presidents’ Day” ON THE DOCKET — “4 reasons Big Tech is worried about the Supreme Court this week,” by Rebecca Kern: “Tech companies are bracing for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear one of the most consequential cases facing the trillion-dollar industry to date — a ruling that could potentially make them liable for the recommendation of harmful content on their platforms.” TRUMP’S TIGHTROPE — “Trump’s White House accomplishments aren’t so easy to sell on the campaign trail,” by Meridith McGraw: “Operation Warp Speed, the public-private partnership that developed a coronavirus vaccine in record time and which [former President DONALD] TRUMP once called a ‘miracle,’ has become vilified among a group of conservatives. And the toppling of Roe v. Wade by Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices has turned into a political Rorschach test for Republicans … [N]avigating those twin achievements from his time in office could become tricky to handle over the course of a potential primary and general election run. Trump has begun taking steps to try and maneuver that political landscape.” WHAT THEY’RE READING IN IOWA — “In the three months since he announced his bid for a comeback, Trump has not set foot in Iowa, the first place his claim of party dominance will be tested early next year,” AP’s Thomas Beaumont reports from Cedar Rapids.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu before their meeting in Ankara, Turkey, on Monday, Feb. 20. | Burhan Ozbilici/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 9 THINGS TO START YOUR WEEK 1. RUNNING IT BACK: “Biden Drawing Up a 2024 Playbook That Looks a Lot Like 2020’s,” by NYT’s Peter Baker, Reid Epstein and Lisa Lerer: “Whether he ultimately faces Donald J. Trump again or another Republican trying to be like Mr. Trump, the president plans a campaign message that still boils down to three words: Competent beats crazy. Whether he can sell that theme again represents a singular challenge given surveys showing that the public has not exactly rallied behind him and harbors deep doubts about his age. “When Mr. Biden kicks off his re-election campaign this spring, as is widely expected, he will be the oldest president in history but one of the lowest-rated in the modern period, presiding over an economy that is improving but unsettled and leading a party publicly behind him but privately angst-ridden. And rather than Mr. Trump, he may yet face a Republican challenger closer to the age of his son. “The goal, according to interviews with White House officials, outside advisers, key allies and party strategists, is to frame the race as a contest, not a referendum on Mr. Biden. On one side, in this narrative, will be a mature, seasoned leader with a raft of legislation on his record aimed at winning back working-class Democrats. On the other will be an ideologically driven, conspiracy-minded opposition consumed by its own internal power struggles and tethered to a leader facing multiple investigations for trying to overturn a democratic election.” 2. LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD BREATHING EASIER: The U.S. managed to sidestep a diplomatic row over Israel at the U.N. this week, when it wants to keep the focus on the one-year anniversary of war in Ukraine, AP’s Edith Lederer and Matthew Lee report. A Palestinian resolution at the Security Council would have condemned Israeli settlements. Top U.S. officials worked for days to find a different resolution. “To avoid a vote and a likely U.S. veto of the draft resolution, … the administration managed to convince both Israel and the Palestinians to agree in principle to a six-month freeze in any unilateral action they might take” — meaning new Israeli settlements or Palestinian action at international bodies. 3. THIS WEEK’S BIG ELECTION: “The Activist Pastor Running to Remake the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” by Douglas Foster in Madison, Wis., for POLITICO Magazine: “At one point, Judge EVERETT MITCHELL was a functionally illiterate teen running from trouble at home. Now he’s running for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in one of the nation’s most consequential elections — with major implications for 2024.” 4. TRUMP VS. DeSANTIS: “Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis to Court Big-Money Donors at Dueling Palm Beach Events,” by WSJ’s Alex Leary: “Trump is scheduled to appear Thursday at a fundraiser for the super political-action committee supporting his White House bid, MAGA Inc. The location: the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. The following day, Mr. DeSantis, Florida’s governor, will kick off a three-day retreat with donors and other supporters. The location: Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, an eight-minute drive from Mar-a-Lago. The timing is coincidental, people familiar with the events say. … Mr. DeSantis’s allies concede the location of his event is likely to irk Mr. Trump.” Related read: “Ron DeSantis’ use of government power to implement agenda worries some conservatives,” by CNN’s Steve Contorno, Jeff Zeleny and Fredreka Schouten
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Amazon offers hourly employees like Mina technical training and prepaid college tuition to turn entry level jobs into long-term, higher-paying careers. Hear what Amazon employees are saying about their career development. Sponsored by Amazon   | | | 5. WHO RUN THE WORLD? CHRIS COONS: The Democratic Delaware senator has emerged as a critical face of the Biden administration and the U.S. on the world stage, Alex Ward reports from Munich, where everybody wants to talk to Coons. World leaders see Coons as not only a close Biden ally on policy and shadow secretary of State but a representative of “Biden, the man,” Alex writes. In Germany, his “message was simple: Help Ukraine without risking America’s military readiness for future fights — namely should China invade Taiwan — and don’t plunge the U.S. into another foreign war.” 6. WHO RUN THE HOUSE GOP? RUSS VOUGHT: The former Trump aide “has emerged as one of the central voices shaping the looming showdown over federal spending and the national debt,” WaPo’s Jeff Stein, Josh Dawsey and Isaac Arnsdorf write. Vought is supplying Republicans with a “seemingly inexhaustible stream of advice” as they haggle with Dems over raising the debt limit. But just how pervasive is Vought’s influence? “Several Republican lawmakers and staffers privately acknowledged talking to Vought at least once a week. Earlier this month, he briefed about four dozen GOP senators over lunch in the Capitol, according to Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.), who said it was at least the third time he had heard Vought’s pitch for dealing with the debt limit.” 7. THE LAST FRONTIER: “Inside the Hunt for U.F.O.s at the End of the World,” by NYT’s Katie Rogers in Deadhorse, Alaska: “The good people of Deadhorse notwithstanding, many of us still had a lot of questions. For a nation that has been riveted by this saga since the aerial assaults on mysterious objects began — Pop! Pop! Pop! — the end felt incomplete. Were aliens involved? (No, says the White House.) Surveillance devices of mysterious provenance? (No, says the White House.) Hobby balloons? (We may never know, says the White House.) But of course, this is America. When was the last time we let anything go?” 8. WHO’S AT DEFAULT? “Debt-Ceiling Standoff Prompts Backup Plans, but They Face Hurdles Too,” by WSJ’s Andrew Duehren and Siobhan Hughes: “There is no clear escape hatch to avoid default if Congress doesn’t pass legislation raising the debt ceiling. Potential alternatives to addressing the borrowing limit—from simply ignoring it, to minting a trillion-dollar coin, to prioritizing certain payments—all face hurdles, underlining doubts about any fallback plan if Democrats and Republicans fail to reach a deal by this summer.” 9. THE PERSISTENT PANDEMIC: “Why the U.S. Covid-19 Death Toll Is Still Rising,” by WSJ’s Jon Kamp: “The U.S., which recently topped 1.1 million Covid-19 deaths since the pandemic began, continues to record several hundred more each day, death-certificate data show. The people who are dying remain old, often with underlying health issues such as heart and lung ailments, the data indicate.”
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 3/1 TO DISCUSS AMERICAN PRIVACY LAWS: Americans have fewer privacy rights than Europeans, and companies continue to face a minefield of competing state and foreign legislation. There is strong bipartisan support for a federal privacy bill, but it has yet to materialize. Join POLITICO on 3/1 to discuss what it will take to get a federal privacy law on the books, potential designs for how this type of legislation could protect consumers and innovators, and more. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Joe Biden’s surprise trip was quick to be memed by Ukrainians. MEDIA MOVES — The Nation is announcing three new columnists: Spencer Ackerman, Adolph Reed Jr. and Jane McAlevey. TRANSITION — Gavin Proffitt is now a professional staff member with the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He previously was a Medicaid demonstrations specialist at CMS. ENGAGED — Jock Gilchrist, senior associate for sustainability at JPMorgan Chase, proposed to Lucy Vernasco, senior consultant for the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. “We met in April 2021 in Boulder, Colorado and were introduced by my best friend Victoria Park, who I had worked with at the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee, and Jock’s brother Duncan Gilchrist,” Lucy tells us. “We took a trip to Boulder over Presidents Day weekend and Jock surprised me at one of our favorite mountain overlooks on our way to a dinner reservation. I was surprised again at dinner to see my family, who came from out of town to celebrate!” Pic WEEKEND WEDDING — Miles Baker, partner at Democratic consulting firm Action Factory, and Deborah Philbrick, program officer at the MacArthur Foundation, got married yesterday in Chicago. They originally met on Tinder. Pic … SPOTTED: Michigan state Rep. Jason Morgan, Amanda Stitt and Ryan Irvin, Garrett Arwa, Andrew Feldman, Eric Heggie, Jen Flood, Rob Davidson, Christina Kuo, Christos Michalakis, Nancy Wang, Jack Schmitt, Jorgen Thomsen, Eli Isaguirre and Brandon Hynes. BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Bryce Taylor Rudow, currently on site in Antananarivo HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell … Doug Mills … David Corn … Bob Davis … POLITICO’s David Cohen, Juan Perez, Carmen Paun and Joseph Kenol … … Democratic strategist Keith Edwards … WaPo’s Elana Zak … Tamara Fucile … Greg D’Angelo … Andrew Hanna of Senate Foreign Relations … Arc Initiatives’ Aaron Wells … Kaylin Dines … Michael Zona of Bullpen Strategy Group … David Blair … Keosha Varela … Vox’s Dylan Matthews … Miguel Rodriguez of the Gates Foundation … Ashkon Eslami … Herald Group’s Julianne Haggerty … Michael Clemente … Rokk Solutions’ Elizabeth Northrup … Mark Knoller … Chris Cillizza … Trevor Noah … Caleb Fisher … Stu Spencer (96) … Andrew Baumann Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
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