Newsman: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the United States to help stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling out President Joe Biden by name in English, said “being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was addressing to the US Congress on Wednesday virtually.
“Is this a lot to ask for to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people? Is this too much to ask?” Zelenskyy said. “Humanitarian no-fly zone, something that Ukraine, that Russia would not be able to terrorize our free cities.”
Zelenskyy described the horrors at home as a terror not seen in Europe for 80 years and went on to play a three-minute video of the violence and bloodshed in Ukraine over the past three weeks, including images of dying children, with a message to “close the skies over Ukraine.”
“If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative. You know what kind of defense systems we need, S-300 and other systems,” Zelenskyy continued, referring to a Soviet-era surface-to-air missile system that can defend against cruise missiles and aircraft attacks.
In the emotional appeal, Zelenskyy asked Americans to put themselves in the shoes of Ukrainians by remembering Pearl Harbor “when your sky was black from the planes attacking you” and the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that “every day now for three weeks” Ukraine has seen death.
“Remember September the 11th, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories on battlefields, when innocent people were attacked from air, yes, just like no one else expected it, you could not stop it,” he said. “Our country experiences the same thing every day, right now at this moment, every night for three weeks now various Ukrainian cities — Mariupol and Kharkiv — Russia has turned the Ukrainian skies into a source of death for thousands of people.”
Zelenskyy closed his brief but extraordinary address by speaking directly to Biden — in English.
“I’m addressing to President Biden: you are the leader of the nation, of your brave nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,” Zelenskyy said. “Thank you. Slava Ukraini.”
He also invoked American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech in his appeal, catering to an American audience.
“‘I have a dream.’ These words are known to each of you. Today, I can say, ‘I have a need’ — I need to protect our sky,” he said. “I need your decision, your help, which means exactly the same, the same you feel when you hear the words,’I have a dream.'”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the Ukrainian president and led members in chanting, “Slava Ukraini” or “Glory to Ukraine.”
“Glory to heroes,” Zelenskyy responded. “Thank you very much, Madame Speaker, Members of the Congress, ladies and gentlemen, Americans, friends, I’m proud to greet you from Ukraine from our capital city of Kyiv, a city that is under missile and airstrikes from Russian troops every day, but it doesn’t give up — and we have not even thought about it for a second,” he said.
