Ukraine’s Zelensky tells US House, “Your aid is not a donation, but an investment”

Washington, United States:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the US Congress on Wednesday that the billions of dollars in aid he approved to help fight Russian aggression was not charity, but an investment in global security.

In his first trip outside his country since the war began in February, Zelensky told lawmakers in the House of Representatives chamber that he expected them to continue to support Ukraine on a bipartisan basis – a key point as Republicans seek to take a majority. The reasons are in the House on 3rd January.

“Your money is not charity,” Zelensky said, which has been his public uniform during the 300-day struggle. “It is an investment in global security and democracy.”

Following a meeting at the White House with Democratic President Joe Biden, Zelensky’s speech was needed to resonate with House Republicans, who have expressed skepticism about continuing to send so much aid to Ukraine.

Zelensky’s arrival was greeted with several raucous applause in a nearly packed chamber. When they entered, three members were holding a large Ukrainian flag.

Zelensky said, “It is a great honor for me to be in the US Congress and to speak to you and all Americans. Despite all the doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine has not fallen. Ukraine is alive and active.”

“We beat Russia in the battle for the world’s mind,” he said.

Zelensky joined a long list of world leaders to address joint sittings of the Senate and House, a tradition that began with a visit by Hawaiian King Kalakaua in 1874 and was attended by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as well as by kings, queens Almost included in the famous wartime voyages. and a pope.

House members and senators from both parties repeatedly jumped to their feet to cheer parts of Zelensky’s English speech, such as “Ukraine holds its line and will never surrender”, as he booed Moscow’s troops. He compared his country’s fight against the great battles of World War II. and even the American Revolution.

There are no signs of peace talks to end the war and both Russia and Ukraine have indicated a willingness to continue fighting, although Zelensky said he discussed a 10-point Ukrainian peace formula with Biden.

Zelensky told lawmakers, “I’m pleased that President Biden supported our peace initiative today. Today each of you ladies and gentlemen can assist with implementation to keep American leadership solid, bicameral, and bipartisan.”

purse strings

Planning for Zelensky’s speech began in October, according to an aide to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, when she met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Pelosi was attending the first parliamentary summit of the International Crimea Forum in Zagreb, Croatia at the time.

Just 300 days after Russian troops have invaded and in the midst of rapid rocket attacks that have devastated Ukrainian cities, Zelensky arrives to learn that the Senate and the House control America’s wallet.

His timing was perfect, as Congress is on the verge of approving an additional $44.9 billion in new emergency military and economic aid, on top of some $50 billion already sent to Ukraine this year.

Daniel Fried, former US ambassador to Poland and a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Zelensky’s visit demonstrated that he and Biden share a belief that the United States, despite its mistakes, is the leader of the free world.

Zelensky, Fried said, “did not go to Berlin, Brussels, London or Paris” for his first trip abroad since the start of the war.

Zelensky, 44, a former comedian and actor, also visited Washington on the day the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed a new ambassador to Russia.

The optics of welcoming Zelensky as a defender of democracy conveyed a much deeper message than military aid. It was meant to signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States and its NATO allies remain firmly behind Ukraine, despite recent signs of impatience among some Republican lawmakers over rising costs.

For Zelensky, whose wartime olive fatigues have become globally recognized, the House ignored a rule that normally requires men to wear a jacket and tie inside the chamber.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)