CONNECTICUT, USA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a historic virtual address to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, asking for more aid and putting pressure on President Biden.
With the United States feeling pressure to help Ukraine with more military assistance, Zelenskyy urged that more help is needed as Ukraine continues to fight back against Russia.
As part of his plea for more military support, Zelenskyy called to Congress for no-fly zones, aware of the U.S. and NATO's opposition due to the risk of conflict with Russia. Despite the request, the White House has opposed it.
Zelenskyy closed with reference to Biden, "You are the leader of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace."
Shortly after Zelenkyy's speech, Biden announced he would be sending $800 million in additional assistance to Ukraine.
Connecticut Congressional leaders did not fall short on sharing their thoughts on Zelenskyy's speech to congress.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal shared his support for Zelenskyy in a Twitter post. Blumenthal advocated for more air defense in Ukraine for protection from Russian attacks.
Sen. Chris Murphy said the speech was gut-wrenching, it left him thinking about what more can be done to help. Murphy also released a statement on the address.
“President Zelensky’s speech today and the harrowing video he showed were nothing short of heartbreaking. And he is right – the fight in Ukraine is tied to the global fight for democracy. The United States must do more to support the Ukrainian military and provide humanitarian aid while avoiding a direct conflict with Russia. It’s not hyperbole that this is the most significant challenge to the post-WWII order, and we should treat it that way. The administration has done an exceptional job getting weapons and aid to Ukraine thus far, and I’ll continue supporting their efforts to isolate Russia and force Putin to back down,” said Murphy.
Rep. Joe Courtney said in a statement that Zelenskyy's words were powerful.
“The round of new military assistance that Congress voted to authorize last week will provide more options for Ukraine to ‘close the skies’—including Switchblade 300 drone capability which President Zelenskyy mentioned in his remarks, and more—which is the goal that NATO military planners and Ukraine are working to achieve." he said. "President Zelenskyy’s words of gratitude were gracious, but as he said, the world’s democracies need to do more. America’s support has prevented Putin from achieving his ends in Ukraine so far, and I’m ready to keep working with my colleagues to explore other ways to support our partners—through continued humanitarian aid, new defense technologies like Switchblade drones, and other resources.”
The US has remained committed to stopping Russia's invasion with export controls and sanctions. So far, the Biden administration has provided assistance packages of $200 million and security assistance of $350 million. A $13 billion emergency package was also passed by Congress.
This week alone, assistance to Ukraine has totaled $1 billion.
Jareliz Diaz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jdiaz@fox61.com
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