WASHINGTON (Transatlantic Today) – In his heartfelt appeal, Zelenskyy urged Americans to picture themselves in the position of Ukrainians by recalling Pearl Harbor “when your sky was dark from the planes attacking you” and the September 11 attacks, noting that “every day for 3 weeks” Ukraine has experienced death.
Zelenskyy described the atrocities in Ukraine as a horror that has not been seen in Europe in 80 years, then played a 3-minute film depicting the bloodshed and violence in Ukraine from the past 3 weeks, including pictures of dying children, and urged the world to “close the skies above Ukraine.”
The White House stated on Tuesday that Biden will try to hear Zelensky’s speech to the extent that his schedule permits, and that he would then deliver his own statement describing what the US can do for “Ukrainian security support.”
In comments to reporters on Tuesday, he issued a kind of preemptive response while signing a $1.5 trillion federal spending plan that provides $13.6 billion in supplementary help to Ukraine.
While the US has implemented a series of trade and economic sanctions in an attempt to isolate Russia, the Biden administration has explicitly refused a no-fly zone, as well as US forces battling Russia in Ukraine and any assistance in supplying MiG-29 fighter planes to the Ukrainians. According to ABC NEWS, it’s also uncertain whether Congress would try to move independently if the White House does not take more action.
Top Republicans demanded that Biden offer additional deadly help to Ukraine as soon as possible and reconsider his decision not to allow the deployment of MiG-29 fighter fighters from Poland to Ukraine.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, accused the administration of “dragging its heels” in delivering help to Ukraine on Tuesday.
The call to Zelenskyy to address the Congress was described by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as “one of the highest honors” granted by the institution to a foreign leader.
Outside the auditorium on Wednesday, staffers to Congress were spotted distributing pins with the American and Ukrainian flags joined for members to wear inside before the speech.
