Zelenskyy to bring Ukraine’s war to U.S. Congress as nation seeks help to fight Russia

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's video address into the U.S. Capitol will be among the most important in a very public strategy in his fight to stop Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, the actor-turned-wartime leader’s latest video speech as he uses the West’s great legislative bodies as a global stage to orchestrate support against Russia’s crushing invasion.

Globalnews.ca will livestream Zelenskyy’s address to Congress, which is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET.

Zelenskyy’s video address into the U.S. Capitol will be among the most important in a very public strategy in which he has invoked Winston Churchill, Hamlet and the power of world opinion in his fight to stop Russia.

Nearing the three-week mark in an ever-escalating war, Zelenskyy has used his campaign to implore allied leaders to “close the sky” to prevent the Russian airstrikes that are devastating his country. It has also put Zelenskyy at odds with President Joe Biden, whose administration has stopped short of providing a no-fly zone or the transfer of military jets from neighboring Poland as the U.S. seeks to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia.

Instead, Biden will deliver his own address following Zelenskyy’s speech, in which he is expected to announce an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, according to a White House official. That would bring the total announced in the last week alone to $1 billion. It includes money for anti-armor and air-defense weapons, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Appearing in his now-trademark army green T-shirt as he appeals to world leaders, Zelenskyy has emerged as a heroic figure at the centre of what many view as the biggest security threat to Europe since the Second World War. Almost three million refugees have fled Ukraine, the fastest exodus in modern times.

Invoking Shakespeare’s hero last week, he asked the British House of Commons whether Ukraine is “to be or not to be.” On Tuesday, he appealed to “Dear Justin” as he addressed the Canadian Parliament and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Zelenskyy called on European Union leaders at the start of the war to do the politically unthinkable and fast-track Ukraine’s membership — and he has continued to push for more help to save his young democracy than world leaders have so far pledged to do.

”I know he will ask for more help,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.