Addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress in his first overseas trip since Russia invaded his country more than 300 days ago, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky took aim at the burgeoning isolationist tendency in American politics, urging lawmakers to ramp up support for his embattled homeland out of self-interest rather than any charitable impulse.
Clad in his trademark dark green sweatshirt and cargo pants, Zelensky pressed Congress to continue to provide the overwhelming military and financial aid that began to flow when Russia invaded and has continued unabated since, arguing that Russian aggression would further destabilize the U.S.-led international order if left unchecked.
“This battle cannot be frozen or postponed, it cannot be ignored hoping that the ocean or something else will provide protection. The world is too interconnected and interdependent,” Zelensky said to raucous applause.
The wartime leader went on to point out that Russian president Vladimir Putin has benefitted from weaponry provided by a hostile Iranian regime that is also intent on disrupting U.S. leadership of the international order, making the case that other rogue states will draw inspiration from Putin’s regime if Russia proves successful in its violation of international law.
“Iranian deadly drones, sent Russia hundreds, began a threat to our critical infrastructure, that is how one terrorist has found the other. It is just a matter of time when they will strike against your other allies, if we do not stop them now – we must do it,” Zelensky said.
“Your money is not charity; it’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way,” he added.
PHOTOS: Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington
Zelensky’s arrival comes at a pivotal point in American domestic politics: The Senate is poised to pass an omnibus bill which includes nearly $45 billion worth of civilian and military aid destined for Ukraine.
While the package has received unanimous support from Democratic and Senate Republican leadership, a vocal minority of House Republicans have urged their colleagues to reconsider the scale of aid being provided to Ukraine, arguing that domestic priorities, such as securing the Southern border, should take precedent over supporting one side in a far-away conflict. Other House Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have objected to the omnibus spending bill on process grounds, arguing that significant spending decisions should not be made in the waning days of a lame-duck Congress.
Against the backdrop of the Ukrainian aid package, President Biden has publicly committed to transferring sophisticated anti-aircraft Patriot missiles to help ward off Russian incursions.
During a press conference that preceded Zelensky’s address, Biden argued that Putin miscalculated in invading Ukraine as he caused the very thing he feared: the strengthening of NATO.
“I’ve never seen NATO or the E.U. more united about anything at all. Putin thought he could weaken NATO. Instead, he strengthened NATO,” he said.
The impending winter and widespread fears of a European energy crisis also led Biden to claim, “Russia is using winter as a weapon — freezing people, starving people.”
Prior to his speech, Zelensky met with a range of American officials, including President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House.