MARSHALL — President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday is not the first time a U.S. president has made a visit to a war zone. However, traveling to Ukraine one year after it was invaded by Russia made a definite statement of support for Ukraine, said David Sturrock, professor of political science at Southwest Minnesota State University.

“It’s a morale boost at different levels — for the Ukrainian government, and for the Ukrainian people,” Sturrock said Monday. “To actually go there made it much more emphatic and much more meaningful.”

There is precedent for a U.S. president to make an unannounced visit to a war zone, Sturrock said.

“Other presidents have done something similar,” he said. George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump all made visits to Iraq and Afghanistan during their presidencies.

The U.S. does not have a military presence in Ukraine other than a small detachment of Marines guarding the embassy in Kyiv, the Associated Press reported Monday. However, the U.S. does have a stake in what is going on in Ukraine, Sturrock said.

The timing of Biden’s visit, close to one year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, underscored his message of support, Sturrock said. He said commitments made by other European nations to Ukraine have also made an impact, especially since those nations still have fresh memories of World War II.

“It’s very impactful, and very striking,” Sturrock said.