Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, once again pleading for a no fly zone and urged the world to stand up to Russia's continued attacks against his people.
"I have the honor to greet you on behalf of the brave Ukrainian people who for eight years have been resisting Russian aggression," Zelenskyy said after being introduced with a standing ovation. "Right now the destiny of our country is being decided, the destiny of our people, whether Ukrainians will be free."
"We haven't even thought about it [giving up] for a second," he said.
For weeks Zelenskyy has asked the United States and Europe for a no fly zone as Russian pummels his cities from he sky. He did so again today.
"Russia is the source of death for thousands of people. Russians have fired 1000 missiles at Ukraine," he said. "This is a terror Europe has not seen in 80 years and we are asking for a response to this terror. Is it too much to ask for a no fly zone? A humanitarian no fly zone?...if this is too much to ask, you know what kind of defense systems we need."
Zelenskyy requested aircraft if a no fly zone is still not possible.
"I have a need. I need to protect our sky," he said.
Zelenskyy expressed the Ukrainian desire to live freely like Americans and conveyed his admiration for the American presidents etched into Mt. Rushmore.
"Ladies and gentlemen, friends, Ukraine is grateful for your overwhelming support and everything you have done for us," he said.
Zelenskyy: "I remember...Rushmore, the faces...who laid the foundation of the United States of America...democracy, independence, freedom, and care for everyone...who works diligently, who lives honestly, who respects the law. We in Ukraine want the same" pic.twitter.com/29ItnJUTOH
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 16, 2022
Explaining the horrors of the Russian invasion, Zelenskyy spoke of 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. He invoked the familiar words of Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous "I have a dream" speech.
"I call on you to do more. New sanctions are needed until the Russian military regime is stopped," he said. "All American companies must leave Russia's market...it is flooded with our blood."
"I am asking that the Russians don't receive a single penny that they use to destroy Ukraine."
Zelenskyy also called for a new alliance of countries to prevent war and preserve peace in the future called U24. At the end of his remarks, he played a video of his country under siege, displaying murdered Ukrainians, bloody and injured children, mass graves and destroyed civilian apartment buildings.
"Right now, the destiny of our country is being decided," he said. "Russia has attacked not just us, not just our land, not just our cities — it went on a brutal offensive against our values."
This is the video that Ukrainian President Zelensky just played for Congress. pic.twitter.com/waTxPAiQBx
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 16, 2022