Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invoked the terror of the September 11 attacks to plead with the Biden administration to help implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine and stop Russia’s brutal war.
In an emotional address to Congress on Wednesday, Zelensky said Russia’s aggression in Ukraine should strike a chord with all Americans, as the relentless bombing and missile strikes against Ukrainian civilians are no different than the terrorist attacks that shook the U.S. in 2001.
“Remember September 11, a terrible day in 2001, when evil tried to turn your cities into battlefields, when innocent people were attacked... Our country is experiencing the same every day, right now, every night, for three weeks now,” he said.
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“Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people. Russian troops have already fired nearly 1,000 missiles at Ukraine, countless bombs, they use drones to kill us with precision. This is a terror that Europe has not seen for 80 years, and we are asking for an answer to this terror from the whole world. Is it too much to ask for a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people?”
He said “if that is too much to ask,” Ukraine is also in need of fighter jets.
To really bring home his message, the leader showed lawmakers a gut-wrenching video of scenes on the ground in Ukraine. The video featured graphic footage of civilians struck down by missile fire, including countless children.
Zelensky noted that while he is 45 years old, he feels as if his life has stopped due to the war.
“It stopped when the hearts of more than 100 children stopped beating. I see no sense in life if it cannot stop these deaths,” he said, as the death toll of children in Ukraine now stands at more than 100.
Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday that an average of five children a day were being killed by Vladimir Putin’s troops.
“Today the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine, we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world,” he said, begging with the U.S. to live up to its reputation as the leader of the free world.
“Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its overwhelming support.… In the darkest time for our country, for all of Europe, I call on you to do more,” he said, pushing for more sanctions against Russian politicians. He also pleaded for more weapons and humanitarian support.
Addressing Biden directly in English, Zelensky said: “You are the leader of your great nation, I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”
Throughout the past 21 days of Russian troops bombarding Ukraine in multiple cities, Zelensky has repeatedly called on the West to do more to stop the aggression.
Streaming out of the auditorium where they heard Zelensky’s plea, lawmakers were in an especially somber, emotional mood. Some appeared to still be collecting themselves after watching the Ukrainians’ devastating video showing how the Russian invasion has destroyed their country.
“There was a collective holding of the breath,” said Sen. Angus King (I-ME), describing the mood in the room packed full of lawmakers. “Everybody took it very personally,” said Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA), wearing a pin with the U.S. and Ukrainian flags on his lapel.
For those familiar with Zelensky’s rise, it was hardly a surprise that his personal appeal to Congress was felt so powerfully—or that it contained references to touchstones of U.S. history.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) was one of the first U.S. lawmakers to meet Zelensky after he took office in 2019. “He’s an incredibly effective communicator, he always has been,” Murphy said after the speech. “The world needs to see what has happened, and I think he’s right to connect it to the broader struggle for freedom,” he said.
In an address to the Canadian parliament on Tuesday, Zelensky received a standing ovation for a powerful speech in which he pleaded with world leaders to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine to stop Russian air attacks.
“I would like you to understand and I would like you to feel this,” Zelensky said. “How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this [no-fly zone] happen?”
Ukraine has already received substantial amounts of weaponry and financial support from its Western allies, but a no-fly zone has widely been seen by Western officials as a risky escalation of the war.
While the White House is expected to announce an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, the idea of a no-fly zone has also failed to win bipartisan support in Congress. U.S. officials have said the measure could force the U.S. military into a direct confrontation with the nuclear-armed Russia, as NATO member states would be obliged to shoot down any Russian aircraft violating Ukraine’s airspace.
