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image source, EPA
Zelensky in the US Congress
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his US counterpart Joe Biden and delivered an emotional speech in front of the US Congress on Wednesday in Washington.
Its about Ukrainian leader’s first trip abroad since the start of the invasion of Russia in February.
That is why his visit was organized with the utmost discretion and was announced by surprise early Wednesday morning.
The Ukrainian president gave a speech before the US Congress, where the lawmakers received him with a long and loud ovation.
image source, Getty Images
Zelensky, in the US Congress.
“Our two nations are allies in this battle and next year will be a turning point, I know,” he exclaimed.
Zelensky denounced the Russian military attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and especially power plants.
He regretted that millions of Ukrainians go to spend the holidays partially in the dark due to the power outages, 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 for the moment “it is not enough” to win the war.
Zelensky remarked to the congressmen that “your money is not charity”.
“It is an investment in global security and democracy, which we manage in the most responsible way,” he said.
Congress plans vote approvalfrom another $45 billion additional economic and military aid to Ukraine as part of its total $1.7 trillion defense budget by 2023.
The North American country is by far the main supplier of arms, 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 billion dollars respectively.
image source, Getty Images
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 pledged to further strengthen the Ukrainian military defense and confirmed that Washington will deliver the Patriot air defense system for the first time to the troops of the European country.
This system is part of a new US$1.85 billion military package which also includes mortar systems, armored trucks, high-velocity anti-radiation missiles, 155mm guided projectiles, and other equipment.
The new contribution is in addition to the approximately $20 billion in weapons and defense alone that the US has sent to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
image source, Getty Images
Zelensky presented Biden with a military decoration.
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 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.
image source, Getty Images
Patriot missile system.
“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.
He argued that 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 emphasized that the allies “are not looking to go to war with Russia; not lookingmos a third world war“.
Zelensky thanked Biden for his decision to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, saying they would “significantly” bolster his defense.
He added that a “just peace” with Russia – the phrase mentioned earlier by Biden – is impossible because of the amount of suffering the invading country has already inflicted on his own.
“There can be no just peace in a war that was imposed on us,” he said.
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