Russia-Ukraine war live: ‘It would be naive to wait for peace from Russia’ Zelenskiy says in address to US Congress - The Guardian

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Transport Secretary Pete Bittigieg had this to accidental astir Zelenskiy’s address:

Congress is connected the verge of approving an further $44.9bn successful caller exigency subject and economical assistance, connected apical of immoderate $50bn already sent to Ukraine this year.

Daniel Fried, erstwhile US ambassador to Poland and a chap astatine the Atlantic Council, said Zelenskiy’s travel demonstrated that helium and Biden stock a content that the United States, contempt its faults, is person of the escaped world.

Zelenskiy, Fried said, “didn’t spell to Berlin, Brussels, London oregon Paris” for his archetypal travel overseas since the commencement of the war.

CBS is reporting that Zelenskiy whitethorn soon sojourn different countries, including, possibly, the UK, France and Germany.

Biden welcomed Zelenskiy to the White House earlier connected Wednesday, unveiling an further US$1.85bn information assistance bundle for Ukraine to proceed to support itself against Russia, including a Patriot surface-to-air rocket defence system. ‘We volition enactment with you,’ Biden told him.

The sojourn – Zelenskiy’s archetypal travel extracurricular of Ukraine since the warfare started – underscores the ties betwixt the 2 countries and includes a White House meeting, a sojourn to Congress and a absorption connected much weapons for Kyiv:

In quality from Ukraine: a erstwhile Russian lawman premier curate and a pro-Moscow authoritative were injured erstwhile Ukrainian forces shelled the eastbound metropolis of Donetsk connected Wednesday, Russian quality agencies said.

Donetsk, controlled by pro-Moscow troops, is successful the concern Donbas region, epicentre of caller bitter warring betwixt Russia and Ukraine.

One of the injured men was Dmitry Rogozin, a erstwhile Russian lawman premier curate who is giving subject proposal to 2 occupied regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims arsenic its own, an adjutant told Tass quality agency, his beingness was not successful danger.

Also wounded was Vitaly Khotsenko, the caput of authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, his property caput told Russian quality agencies.

Zelenskiy joined a agelong database of satellite leaders to code associated meetings of the Senate and House, Reuters reports, a contented that began successful 1874 with a sojourn by Hawaiian King Kalakaua and included astir legendary wartime visits by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, arsenic good arsenic kings, queens and 1 pope.

But for Zelenskiy, whose wartime olive fatigues person go globally recognized, the House overlooked a regularisation that usually requires men to deterioration a overgarment and necktie wrong the chamber.

Biden, a fewer minutes ago:

Just confirming that yes, the messages connected the emblem were written by soldiers – from the metropolis of Bakhmut, which Zelenskiy visited connected Tuesday.

“Bakhmut stands,” Zelenskiy said successful his address. “Every inch of that onshore is soaked successful blood… but the Ukrainian Donbas stands”.

Summary: what Zelenskiy told Congress

In an code to US legislature made 12 days earlier Republicans instrumentality the House, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy – who was successful the US connected his archetypal overseas sojourn since Russia’s penetration of Ukraine 300 days agone – emphasised that US assistance volition assistance Ukraine to unafraid a triumph that volition marque the satellite safer.

He started by saying that the US, Europe and Ukraine had unneurotic “defeated Russian successful the conflict for minds of the world”.

Zelenskiy was besides blunt astir wanting much aid, saying that portion helium was grateful for commitments truthful far, it was not enough. He besides called connected the US to spot further sanctions connected Russia, and bring the radical down the warfare to justice. He utilized the words bipartisan repeatedly, and bicameral, astatine slightest once, and sought to guarantee Republican and Democrat lawmakers that assistance for Ukraine was worthwhile, and that the state was a liable steward of assistance.

Zelenskiy repeatedly referred to battles successful satellite warfare two, which was apt strategical – a reminder that what is astatine involvement is planetary politics, not conscionable Ukraine’s freedom.

He quoted Franklin D Roosevelt’s during the 2nd satellite war: “The American radical successful their righteous mightiness volition triumph done to implicit victory,” adding, “I archer you: The Ukrainian radical volition win, too: absolutely.”

As helium ended his speech, the thanked American families – the taxpayers backing US assistance to Ukraine – saying, “Now, astatine this peculiar Christmas time, I privation to convey you, each of you. I convey each American household which cherishes the warmth of its location and wishes the aforesaid warmth to our people.”

Zelenskiy departs

Zelenskiy has concluded his code and near the chamber. From the Guardian’s Washington Correspondent David Smith, who is successful the room:

Here is simply a clip from the speech, wherever Zelenskiy said, “Your enactment is crucial…We person artillery, yes. Thank you. We person it. Is it enough? Honestly, not really.”

From the Guardian’s Washington Correspondent David Smith, who is successful the room: