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Washington — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a plea on to members of Congress on Wednesday for the U.S. to assist create a no-fly zone over Ukrainian skies and to offer extra weapons to bolster Ukraine’s capacity to fight Russia’s airpower as Moscow continues its bombardment of the nation.
In a digital deal with earlier than each chambers of Congress, Zelenskyy invoked key occasions in U.S. historical past, together with the 1941 assault on Pearl Harbor and September 11, 2001, terror assaults to induce members to offer his nation with extra help to beat again Russia’s aggression.
“Identical to no person else anticipated it, you might not cease it,” he mentioned. “Our nation skilled the identical on daily basis, proper now at this second, each night time, for 3 weeks now.”
Russia, he continued, “has turned the Ukrainian sky right into a supply of demise for hundreds of individuals.”
Talking by a translator for the primary portion of his speech, Zelenskyy requested whether or not it’s “an excessive amount of to ask” for the U.S. to create a no-fly zone over his nation and supply air protection methods such because the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile methods. He additionally referred to as for the U.S. to impose new packages of sanctions, together with on all Russian lawmakers, “till the Russian conflict machine stops” and pushed lawmakers to strain companies of their districts who’ve continued working in Russia to stop doing so.
“‘l have a dream,’ these phrases are identified to every of you in the present day,” he mentioned. “I’ve a necessity, a necessity to guard our sky. I want your assist.”
Zelenskyy ended his deal with with a graphic video displaying the devastation and lack of life in Ukraine by Russian forces and an enchantment in English to President Biden and the American folks.
“Being the chief of the world means to be the chief of peace. Peace in your nation does not rely anymore solely on you and your folks. It will depend on these subsequent to you and those that are sturdy,” he mentioned. “Sturdy doesn’t suggest massive, sturdy is courageous and able to struggle for the lifetime of his residents and residents of the world, for human rights, for freedom, for the precise to stay peacefully and to die when your time comes and never when it’s wished by another person, by your neighbor.”
To Mr. Biden immediately, Zelenskyy mentioned, “You’re the chief of the nation, of your nice nation. I want you to be the chief of the world. Being the chief of the world means to be the chief of peace.”
Zelenskyy was launched by Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and acquired a standing ovation from lawmakers, who wore blue and yellow as a present of help, when he appeared on display screen earlier than them. His remarks had been broadcast to members in an auditorium on the Capitol. Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, was additionally in attendance.
“Slava Ukraini,” Pelosi declared earlier than Zelenskyy started his remarks, or “glory to Ukraine.”
With Russia’s conflict in Ukraine continues into its third week, Zelenskyy, carrying a trademark olive drab T-shirt, has appeared earlier than legislative our bodies of quite a few Western international locations, together with the British Home of Commons and the Canadian Parliament, to induce their nations to assist fight Russian airstrikes.
Ukraine’s main concern going into the subsequent section of the conflict is its capacity to compete with the Russian Air Drive. The highest request has been fighter jets, however with the switch of Polish-owned MiG fighters now off the desk, the Ukrainians additionally need surface-to-air weapons that may hit Russia’s high-flying planes. This might transcend the shoulder-mounted weapons and Stinger missiles that the Ukrainians have been receiving from the U.S. and western allies.
Home Overseas Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, a Democrat of New York, emphasised that Ukrainians should be supplied with tools they’re already skilled to function. The Russian-made S-300 methods, along with different gadgets, is into consideration, however it could nonetheless require finding the accessible weapons in international locations prepared to switch it to Ukraine.
It stays unlikely that strain on the Biden administration will change the president’s opposition to the switch of MiG planes, and Mr. Biden has voiced his opposition to the creation of a no-fly zone, warning such a step by the U.S. and NATO allies would mark an escalation within the ongoing conflict.
However Mr. Biden on Wednesday is predicted to announce a further $800 million in safety help to Ukraine, bringing the whole introduced within the final week alone to $1 billion, a White Home official confirmed Tuesday night time. Altogether, Mr. Biden has approved $2 billion in safety for Ukraine since taking workplace. The U.S. stays by far the biggest single donor of safety help to Ukraine.
Over the previous yr, the U.S. has additionally offered Ukraine with greater than 600 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, roughly 2,600 Javelin anti-tank missiles, shotguns, machine weapons and ammunition.
The White Home, in the meantime, introduced Tuesday that Mr. Biden will journey to Brussels subsequent week to take part in a unprecedented NATO summit at its headquarters. Mr. Biden and the alliance’s 30 member international locations will “talk about ongoing deterrence and protection efforts in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified assault on Ukraine in addition to to reaffirm our ironclad decide to our NATO allies,” White Home press secretary Jen Psaki mentioned Tuesday.
Mr. Biden may even be a part of a European Council summit, set for March 24 and March 25, “to debate our shared issues about Ukraine, together with transatlantic efforts to impose financial prices on Russia, present humanitarian help to these affected by the violence and deal with different challenges associated to the battle,” Psaki continued.
Margaret Brennan and Kristin Brown contributed to this report.
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