Zelensky – in the U.S. Congress: “We will win because we are united: Ukraine, America and the whole free world”.

On Wednesday evening, after talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the Capitol to address a joint session of both houses of the US Congress.

Beginning his speech, the Ukrainian President said that it was a great honor for him to speak before the US Congress. He said that Ukraine has already won victories over Russia on the battlefield and will continue to do so, given the great support of Ukrainian friends and partners, primarily the United States.

“This is a battle not only for territory, for this or that part of Europe. The battle is not just for the lives, freedom and security of Ukrainians or any other country that Russia is trying to conquer,” Zelensky said. – This fight will determine what kind of world our children and grandchildren will live in…it will determine whether it will be a democracy for Ukrainians, for Americans, for everybody”.

Zelensky once again recalled that on the eve of this visit to Washington he had visited Bakhmut, a fortress city in Donbass that continues its heroic defense against Russian aggressors. American lawmakers gave the guest a standing ovation as he spoke these words.

Zelensky acknowledged that the Russians have an advantage in artillery, ammunition and long-range missiles. They are destroying everything around them, but “Ukrainians will hold their lines and will never surrender,” the Ukrainian leader stressed.

President Zelensky expressed confidence that American Patriot SAMs will help protect the Ukrainian sky and Ukrainian cities. He also noted that one cannot allow “one terrorist to help another terrorist,” referring to Iran’s supply of drones to the Russian armed forces.

“Ukraine has never asked American soldiers to fight on our soil instead of us. I assure you that Ukrainian soldiers are perfectly capable of controlling American tanks and planes themselves,” Vladimir Zelensky assured U.S. lawmakers.

He stressed that the current American aid to Ukraine is not charity but “investment in global security and democracy”. Zelensky also said that the Ukrainian people want peace, but a just peace, and “a just peace is the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

“Millions of Ukrainians may not have light and water for Christmas,” Zelensky suggested, but Ukrainians are not going to complain, they intend, with dignity and honor, to keep fighting.

In conclusion, Vladimir Zelensky once again thanked all lawmakers, the U.S. president personally, and every American family for helping the fighting Ukraine and presented the leadership of Congress with the Ukrainian national flag, a gift from the Ukrainian fighters defending Bakhmut.

“This flag is a symbol of our victory in this war. We are holding on, we are fighting and we will win because we are united: Ukraine, America and the whole free world,” Zelensky concluded, wishing everyone a victorious new year!

Preliminary assessments of U.S. lawmakers

On the eve of the event, Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed Zelensky’s upcoming speech to Congress.

“Where Winston Churchill stood many generations ago, today President Zelensky will stand, not only as president, but as an ambassador of freedom,” Schumer said.

For his part, Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that aid to Ukraine and the EU to win the war unleashed by Russia is also a direct investment in reducing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s future ability to threaten America and its allies and challenge their core interests.

According to McConnell, helping Ukraine is not only in the national security interests of the United States, but also in its economic interests: “These investments will help expand U.S. defense manufacturing capabilities and contribute to an industry that creates high-paying American jobs.”

“Continuing to support Ukraine is not only morally the right thing to do – it is in the direct, immediate American interest,” he stated.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a letter released Tuesday ahead of Zelensky’s visit to Washington, said the U.S. and its allies are doing all they can to give Ukraine all the resources it needs to win the war.

“The battle for Ukraine is the battle for democracy itself,” the House speaker stated.