Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged the United States to provide Ukraine with more weapons to counter Russia’s aerial bombardment, urging US lawmakers to remember the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11, 2001 attacks. He also urged his American counterpart Joe Biden to behave like a “peace leader” in the world.
Speaking to the US Congress via video link, the President of Ukraine received a new once advocated a no-fly zone over his country and called for more aircraft and air defense systems.
“Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said before a screening of elected officials of the US House of Representatives and Senate. video containing raw images of the death and destruction caused by the Russian military offensive in his country.
Here is the short film that Zelensky showed to the US Congress this morning. He just shared it on Telegram with the caption “Close the skies over Ukraine!” Warning: very graphic footage. pic.twitter.com/aX9lVMbB3e
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) March 16, 2022
This video ended with these words: “Close the sky over Ukraine.”
Fear of nuclear conflict
The President of Ukraine concluded his speech with a direct appeal in English to Joe Biden: “I want you to be the leader of the world. To be the leader of the world is to be the leader of the world.”
Like most other NATO leaders, Joe Biden and US Elected Officials Don’t Want No-Fly Zone Idea in Ukraineso as not to escalate into a direct confrontation with Russia and a nuclear conflict.
The White House also refused to support a Polish-backed plan to transfer Russian-designed MiG fighter jets to Ukraine.
Elected members of Congress gave Volodymyr Zelensky a standing ovation before and after his speech. During her presentation, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi used a slogan that means “Glory to Ukraine” in Ukrainian.
The President of Ukraine ended his speech by waving to the elected officials and placing his hand on his chest in recognition.
Try to raise awareness
Joe Biden signed into law on Tuesday providing $13.6 billion in emergency aid (12.3 billion euros) to Ukraine so that it can buy weapons and receive humanitarian aid.
He was supposed to announce this Wednesday allocation of an additional $800 million in aid level of security for Ukraine, said a White House spokesman.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded elected members of Congress of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii during World War II and the 9/11 attacks in an attempt to convey to them the shock experienced by Ukraine.
Ukraine, a rare subject of congressional convergence
“Now the fate of our country is being decided,” he said through an interpreter. Russia presents its offensive in Ukraine as a “special military operation” designed to guarantee its security.
Divided in almost every subject, Democratic and Republican elected members of the US Congress find a rare common ground on Ukraine and the support that should be given to this country.and some are even pleading for stronger support.
The supply of fighter jets to Ukraine is also an idea that resonates in both chambers. The US Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill recognizing President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal.
After Churchill and Yeltsin Zelensky
with their Western allies, The United States decided on tough economic and financial sanctions against Russia.
Joe Biden also announced US embargo on Russian oil and gas imports. A foreign leader rarely addresses the United States Congress during a war.
Such was the case in 1941 with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, less than three weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor led the United States into a world conflict.
In 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian President Boris Yeltsin delivered a resolutely optimistic speech to American parliamentarians, in which he stated, in part: “We have left behind the period when America and Russia looked at each other through gunsights.” their guns, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.