![]() You know they exist and you have them, but they are on Earth not in the Ukrainian sky.” Zelensky went on to say, “You know how much depends on the battlefield, on the ability to use aircraft, powerful strong aviation to protect our people, our freedom, our land, aircraft that can help Ukraine, help Europe. “To create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people, is this too much to ask?” he said. “We are asking for a reply to this terror from the whole world.” “Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people,” he said as he described the use of missiles, bombs and drones by Russian troops to inflict brutal and deadly attacks on his country. ![]() In his speech, Zelensky implored lawmakers to do more. “(We’re) grateful that he was grateful to United States for all that we have done and what President Biden has done,” she said.Īs he left the address, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called it an “incredibly effective speech” but said “the message to President Biden is that he needs to step up his game.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the speech “quite remarkable.” Members on both sides of the aisle praised Zelensky after the speech concluded and many agreed the US has more work to do to ensure the safety of Ukraine, but most stopped short of endorsing the call for a no-fly zone.Ī number of Democrats pointed to what the Biden administration has already done to deliver aid. While there is widespread bipartisan support for aid to Ukraine, many US lawmakers also believe the US should be careful not to be drawn into any kind of direct, armed conflict with Russia. The speech has sparked renewed debate among lawmakers over what more the US can do to aid the country as it fights back against Russia. Our country experiences the same, every day, right now at this moment.” “Just remember it, remember, September the 11th, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn US cities into battlefields, when innocent people were attacked from air, just like nobody else expected it and you could not stop it. “Remember Pearl Harbor, terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you,” Zelensky said. “Friends, Americans, in your great history, you have pages that would allow you to understand Ukrainians, understand us now, when we need you right now,” he said through a translator at the start of his speech, though at the end of his remarks, he spoke in English. ![]() DREW ANGERER/AFP/POOL/Getty Imagesįour takeaways from President Zelensky's address to Congress ![]() Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky virtually addresses the US Congress on March 16, 2022, at the US Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Auditorium, in Washington, DC. Zelensky paid tribute to tragic moments in American history as he made his appeal. At the end, the screen read: “close the sky over Ukraine.” The speech featured a short video with harrowing scenes from the war-torn country graphically depicting the brutal and deadly toll of the Russian invasion. Zelensky specifically reiterated calls for the US to help enforce a no-fly zone in Ukraine to protect civilians and provide fighter aircraft that the Ukrainians can use to defend themselves, requests that have met with resistance. In his address to Congress, the Ukrainian President expressed gratitude to Biden for aid the US has delivered so far, but he argued that more assistance is desperately needed. “America is leading this effort, together with our allies and partners, providing enormous levels of security and humanitarian assistance that we’re adding to today and we’re going to continue to do more in the days and weeks ahead,” Biden said. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”īiden later pledged ongoing US aid to Ukraine and announced an additional $800 million in security assistance as he condemned Russia’s attacks in a speech of his own. I wish you to be the leader of the world. ![]() The speech, which was given as a virtual address to members of Congress, came as the United States is under pressure from Ukraine to supply more military assistance to the embattled country as it fights back against Russia’s deadly attack.Īt the conclusion of his remarks, Zelensky had an impassioned message for President Joe Biden, saying, “You are the leader of your great nation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Congress for help on Wednesday in a historic speech, telling US lawmakers “we need you right now” as he invoked tragedies in American history like the attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11 terrorist attack. ![]()
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