Parts of Zelensky’s speech in English such as “Ukraine holds its line and will never surrender,” House members and senators on both sides repeatedly jumped to their feet as he spoke of the great battles of World War II. He compared his country’s fight against Moscow’s army. 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.