Ukraine alive and kicking, Zelensky says
VISITING LEADER TO ASK REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS TO CONTINUE FUNDING
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress on Wednesday, aiming to persuade Republican lawmakers to continue to fund his country’s defence against Russia.
“It is a great honour for me to be at the US Congress and speak to you and all Americans. against all doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine did not fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking,” said Zelensky, who received a standing ovation when he walked into the chamber. “We defeated Russia in the battle for the minds of the world,” he said.
Following a meeting at the White House with Democratic President Joe Biden, Zelensky’s speech needed to resonate with a bipartisan audience of US lawmakers, including House of Representatives Republicans, who have voiced increasing scepticism about continuing to send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine.
Zelensky joined a long list of world leaders to address joint meetings of the Senate and House, a tradition that began in 1874 with a visit by Hawaiian King Kalakaua and included almost legendary wartime visits by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as well as kings, queens and one pope.
Planning for Zelensky’s speech began in October, according to a Nancy Pelosi aide, when she met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Pelosi was attending the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Zagreb, Croatia, at the time.
Zelensky’s timing was perfect, as Congress is on the verge of approving an additional $44.9 billion in new emergency military and economic assistance, on top of some $50 billion already sent to Ukraine this year.
POur goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war. We will strive for an end to this, and the sooner the better, of course.”
resident Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia wants an end to the war in Ukraine and that this would inevitably involve a diplomatic solution.
Putin made the comments a day after US President Joe Biden hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House and promised him continued and unwavering US support.
“Our goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war,” Putin said. “We will strive for an end to this, and the sooner the better, of course.”
White House spokesman John Kirby said Putin has “shown absolutely zero indication that he’s willing to negotiate” an end to the war, which began when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.
“Quite the contrary,” Kirby told reporters during an online briefing. “Everything he [Putin] is doing on the ground and in the air bespeaks a man who wants to continue to visit violence upon the Ukrainian people” and “escalate the war.”
Kirby reiterated that Biden was open to talks with Putin,
Vladimir Putin | Russian President
but only after the Russian leader “showed a seriousness about negotiations” and after consultations with Ukraine and US allies.
Russia has persistently said it is open to negotiations, but Ukraine and its allies suspect a ploy to buy time after a series of Russian defeats and retreats that have swung the momentum of the 10-month war in favour of Kyiv.
Diplomatic track
“I have said many times: the intensification of hostilities leads to unjustified losses,” Putin told reporters.
“All armed conflicts end one way or another with some kind of negotiations on the diplomatic track,” he added. “Sooner or later, any parties in a state of conflict sit down and make an agreement. The sooner this realisation comes to those who oppose us, the better. We have never given up on this.”
Russia says it is Ukraine that is refusing to talk. Kyiv says Russia must halt its attacks and give up all territory it has seized.
Putin also played down the significance of the Patriot air defence system that Biden agreed to supply to Zelensky, saying Russia would find a way to counter it.
He said it was “quite old” and did not work like Russia’s S-300 system. “An antidote will always be found,” he said, boasting Russia would “crack” the Patriots.
Decree next week
“So those who do it are doing it in vain. It’s just prolonging the conflict, that’s all.” Putin also said a price cap imposed on Russian oil by Western countries, designed to limit its ability to fund the war, would not damage the Russian economy. He said he would sign a decree early next week to set out Russia’s response.