The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, met with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, and offered an emotional speech in front of the US Congress in Washington on Wednesday.
This is the Ukrainian leader’s first trip abroad since the start of the Russian invasion in February. That is why his visit was organized with the utmost discretion and was announced by surprise early Wednesday morning.
Zelensky in the US Congress
The Ukrainian president gave a speech before the US Congress, where the lawmakers received him with a long and loud ovation. “Our two nations are allies in this battle and next year will be a turning point, I know it,” he exclaimed.
He regretted that millions of Ukrainians are going to spend the Christmas holidays partially in the dark due to power cuts, but assured that despite this they will celebrate Christmas with the confidence of achieving their freedom “with dignity and success.”
He also thanked the large donations received from the United States in military equipment, although he stated that at the moment “it is not enough” to win the war. Zelensky stressed to congressmen that “your money is not charity.” And he added: “It is an investment in global security and democracy, which we manage in the most responsible way.”
Congress is scheduled to vote on an additional $45 billion in economic and military aid to Ukraine as part of its total $1.7 trillion defense budget for 2023.
The North American country is the main supplier of weapons, humanitarian aid and financial assistance to Ukraine in the conflict with more than US$50,000 so far this year, well above the United Kingdom and Germany, with more than US$7,000 and US$5,000 million. of dollars respectively.
Patriot missiles for Ukraine
In the meeting between Biden and Zelensky in the Oval Office, the US president reiterated his support for kyiv “in the search for a just peace” and praised his interlocutor, whom he said is “a great leader” and “the man of the year”, in reference to the cover of this month that Time magazine dedicated to him.
Biden promised to continue strengthening the Ukrainian military defense and confirmed that Washington will deliver the Patriot anti-aircraft defense system to the troops of the European country for the first time.
This system is part of a new US$1.85 billion military package that also includes mortar systems, armored trucks, high-velocity anti-radiation missiles, 155mm guided projectiles and other equipment.
The new contribution comes on top of the roughly $20 billion in weapons and defense alone that the US has sent to Ukraine since the start of the war.
Zelensky also had words of praise for Biden, calling him a “courageous president” and presenting a medal to an Armed Forces captain who fought near the front lines in the eastern city of Bakhmut, describing him as a “ hero”.
The two presidents also offered a joint press conference in which they reaffirmed their alliance and answered various questions from journalists. “We will be with you for as long as it takes,” Biden told Zelensky.
Biden asserted that Americans of all political persuasions understand why Russia needs to be stopped. This is considered an appeal to the Republican congressmen who have recently expressed doubts about the high cost that this war is assuming for the public coffers.
“We are not looking for a Third World War”
Asked about the possibility of sending long-range weapons to Ukraine, Biden replied in the negative.
As he argued, contributing “fundamentally different material from the current one would imply the possibility of breaking NATO and dividing the European Union and the rest of the world.” He too, he emphasized, about the allies: “We do not seek to go to war with Russia; We are not looking for a Third World War.”
Zelensky thanked Biden for his decision to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, saying they will “significantly” strengthen his defense. Lastly, he added that a “just peace” with Russia – the phrase mentioned earlier by Biden – is impossible given the amount of suffering the invading country has already inflicted on his. “There can be no just peace in a war that was imposed on us,” he said.