Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 20, four days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was short on time – the U.S. president spent only around five hours in the capital – but long on symbolism.
It was no coincidence the 80-year-old chose Presidents’ Day to set foot in an active war zone to discuss the situation with his Ukrainian counterpart in a show of collective strength and solidarity. He defied threats of Russian missile attacks to announce an additional package of U.S. weapons and supplies worth $500 million.
Biden emphasized the U.S.’s commitment to the cause. “Freedom is priceless,” he said. “It’s worth fighting for, for as long as it takes.” Can business leaders echo this assurance?
The initial flurry of support for Ukraine by businesses worldwide a year ago has dwindled. To an extent, it was inevitable that so-called “Ukraine fatigue” set in, with the bright lights of the world’s media dimming over time. Pleasingly, there are several instances where organizations have continued their support for Ukraine-based workers.
The full version of this article was first published on Digiday’s future-of-work platform, WorkLife, in February 2023 – to read the complete piece, please click HERE.
Oliver Pickup 