WASHINGTON — In a war speech ahead of a joint session of the US Congress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on lawmakers and all Americans to continue to support his country with military and financial aid as it struggles to survive against a revanchist Russia, and before it warned without victory would threaten the free world, including the United States.
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During his 22-minute speech from the House of Representatives podium on Dec. 21, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine could win the war against a better-armed Russian army, but said US military and financial assistance was “crucial” to the eventual victory .
In pleading for more help, Zelenskiy tried to reassure the American people that a war being fought thousands of miles away in cities they have never heard of affects them directly. He stressed that global freedom and democracy and US security are at stake in Ukraine, and compared the war with Russia to the US war of independence.
The defense of Ukraine “serves not only the life, freedom and security of Ukrainians. She will decide whether [there] will be democracy for Ukrainians and Americans,” Zelenskyy, wearing his signature olive green sweater and military-style pants, said in English.
The war “cannot be frozen or postponed, it cannot be ignored in the hope of the ocean or anything else providing shelter”.
Zelenskyi returned to Ukraine on December 22, his spokesman told AFP. Serhiy Nykyforov also confirmed that Zelenskyj made a brief stopover in Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda.
Zelenskyy thanked Duda for the strong support of the Polish people for Ukrainians. The President’s office told the two leaders discussed strategic plans for the future, bilateral relations and international cooperation in the coming year.
Zelenskyy’s trip to the United States came as Congress prepared to vote on a sweeping spending bill that includes a provision to provide an estimated $45 billion in additional military aid to Ukraine.
While the law is expected to pass, US support for Ukraine has waned as the 10-month war drags on and Americans feel the effects of high inflation.
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Selenskyj in Washington: Biden promises: “You will never stand alone”
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a wartime address ahead of a joint session of the US Congress, said his support for Ukraine’s victory was “vital” as the White House announced a new $1.85 billion security aid package that would include a Patriot air defense system includes.
Many members of the Republican Party, which will take over parliament in January, have criticized the massive aid to Ukraine at a time when the US economy is suffering, and also questioned the use of the aid. Meanwhile, some members of the Democratic Party have expressed concern that increasing military aid to Ukraine could provoke Russia.
Zelenskyy tried to address these concerns head-on, saying the US aid is not “charity” but “an investment in global security and democracy that we will manage in the most responsible way.”
Zelenskyy told Congress that he submitted a 10-point peace plan to Biden but did not disclose its contents. The announcement of such a peace plan might reassure those congressmen who had called for more diplomacy and less aid.
He also said that Iran – which the United States has labeled a terrorist state – has essentially allied itself with Russia in its war against his country and has sold hundreds of deadly kamikaze drones to Moscow.
“This is how one terrorist found another,” he said, referring to Ukraine’s classification of Russia as a terrorist state.
“It’s only a matter of time before they attack your other allies if we don’t stop them now,” he said.
The Kremlin warned that the introduction of advanced US weapons on the battlefield will reduce, not increase, the chances of an end to the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow on December 22 that the weapons “cannot prevent the Russian Federation from achieving its objectives during the special military operation,” the term Russia has forced local media to use to describe conflict.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington came a day after his trip to Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine at the heart of the war.
Russia has been trying to capture Bakhmut for months, constantly shelling the city and throwing wave after wave of soldiers into the fray.
The capture of Bakhmut would allow Russia to cut Ukraine’s supply lines, but also open the door for a future offensive against two larger Ukrainian cities with more industry and rail access.
In his speech, Zelenskyy compared the heroism of Ukrainian soldiers defending Bakhmut to that of US troops fighting Adolf Hitler’s military in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, also during the Christmas season.
“Bakhmut is standing,” said Zelenskyj with jubilation. “Ukraine is holding its lines and will never surrender.”
He also compared the fighting at Bakhmut to the Battle of Saratoga during the US Revolutionary War. The Americans won this battle against the English and turned the tide of the war.
Zelenskyi said “more guns and shells are needed” to drive the Russians out of Bakhmut and pave the way to Ukraine’s final victory.
“Your support is vital not only to survive such a battle, but to reach the turning point and win on the battlefield.
WATCH: Ukraine is preparing for the possibility of a new large-scale offensive by Russian forces early in the new year. Russia continues to rally troops in neighboring Belarus, a country Moscow has used as a launch pad for attacks on Ukraine.
In his speech, Zelensky did not directly ask Congress about Abrams tanks, F-16 fighter jets, or the long-range guided missiles known as ATACMS. The Ukrainian military has been searching for these weapons for months, but the Biden government has so far refused to give the green light.
However, Zelenskyy indirectly hinted at the desire for fighter jets in his speech, saying that Ukraine does not need US troops on the ground because its soldiers “can perfectly pilot American tanks and planes themselves.”
Zelenskyy ended his speech by thanking both congressional parties and the American people for their support of Ukraine.
Elise Giuliano, a professor of political science at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies, told RFE/RL that Zelenskyy is effective in communicating with Americans.
“It appeals to our interest in protecting democracy, but also in our own security,” she said. He is also looking for “these similarities” between the two countries.
Giuliano said it was wise for Zelenskyy to highlight Iran’s support for Russia, as many Americans readily label Tehran as a “bad” and “aggressive” player that the United States must “confront.” .
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi speak at a joint session of the U.S. Congress on March 21.
Zelenskyi arrived in the US capital earlier in the day on his first trip abroad since the Russian invasion began ten months ago.
He held a meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss aid and the course of the war, before engaging in talks with congressional leaders from both parties.
Biden announced a new $1.85 billion security assistance package for Ukraine that includes a Patriot air defense battery.
Ukrainian leaders have advocated providing the Patriots, and Zelenskyy said during a press conference with Biden that he would likely ask for more. Ukraine needs them to prevent the destruction of the country’s civilian infrastructure, including power and heat losses during the cold winter months
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