Defiant Ukraine ‘is alive and kicking’

Volodymyr Zelensky has sent Vladimir Putin a strong message of defiance, telling the US congress Ukraine would never surrender.

Volodymyr Zelensky is mobbed by members of the US congress after delivering his adress to the joint sitting on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country would never surrender in its fight against Russia and urged Washington to ramp up military aid in an impassioned speech before congress that unfolded as the war enters its 11th month.

Speaking in a packed house chamber, a defiant Mr Zelensky touted Ukraine’s successes on the battlefield and said the West was united in its opposition to Russia’s invasion. It capped a whirlwind, roughly eight-hour visit to Washington that included an Oval Office meeting with President Biden and a joint news conference at the White House.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks after giving a Ukrainian national flag to US house Speaker Nancy Pelosi and US Vice-President Kamala Harris during his address the US Congress. Picture: AFP

“Against all the gloom-and-doom scenarios, Ukraine didn’t fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking,” he said. He took pains to note that the aid provided by the US wasn’t charity, but “an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way”.

Speaking in English, Mr Zelensky was interrupted throughout his remarks – which included references to turning points in past wars, such as the Battle of Saratoga during the Revolutionary War and the Battle of the Bulge during World War II – by bursts of applause and standing ovations.

Wearing his regular wartime attire of cargo pants and an olive green sweatshirt, Mr Zelensky presented a signed Ukrainian flag from the battlefront and accepted a US flag in exchange.

The Ukrainian leader thanked Washington policy makers for approving tens of billions of dollars in aid for Kyiv. “Your support is crucial,” he said. But he added, “Is it enough? Honestly, not really.”

US President Joe Biden welcomes Mr Zelensky on the South Lawn of the White House. Picture: AFP

Ukrainian officials have been pushing the US to provide the country with US aircraft, American tanks and long-range US Army Tactical Missile System. But President Biden has so far been hesitant to approve that equipment, worrying that such a move would escalate the crisis. “I assure you that Ukrainian soldiers can perfectly operate American tanks and planes themselves,” Mr Zelensky said.

He said he had discussed a 10-point peace formula with Mr Biden and that the US president supports the peace initiative, including a potential summit. But he didn’t elaborate on what such an initiative would entail. A White House official said Mr Biden told Mr Zelensky he was looking forward to hearing more about their proposal for a summit.

“Slava Ukrayini,” people in the audience shouted at the close of Mr Zelensky’s roughly 25-minute speech, which translates to “glory to Ukraine.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Biden pledged to continue sending military aid to Kyiv, and the two leaders projected unity, glossing over concerns in Ukraine that the flow of aid to the country could slow amid opposition from some House Republicans.

“The American people have been with you every step of the way, and we will stay with you for as long as it takes,” Mr Biden said.

In emotional remarks in the East Room of the White House, Mr Zelensky underscored the toll the war has taken on the Ukrainian people and made clear he wouldn’t accept an outcome that led to a loss of Ukrainian territory. “As a father, I would like to emphasise how many parents lost their sons and daughters on the front lines. So what is just peace for them?” he asked.

Mr Biden condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for “trying to use winter as a weapon,” and warned that the conflict is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

Mr Putin “has no intention — no intention — of stopping this cruel war and the US is committed to ensuring that the brave Ukrainian people can continue to defend their country against Russian aggression as long as it takes,” Mr Biden said.

Mr Zelensky said he was honoured to return to the White House. Picture: AFP

Mr Zelensky, who previously visited the White House in 2021, said he was honoured to return, in his first trip outside his home country since Russia’s invasion last February. He offered “all my appreciation from my heart and from the heart of all Ukrainians,” and presented Mr Biden with a medal previously awarded to a Ukrainian captain.

Mr Zelensky’s trip was shrouded in secrecy and came on the 300th day of the conflict. The pre-Christmas visit came ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter in Ukraine, which has withstood months of Russian bombardment and attacks on the country’s infrastructure, leaving many civilians without heat or electricity.

During the meeting, the Biden administration announced a new roughly $US1.8 billion ($2.7 billion) security-aid package for Ukraine. It includes for the first time a Patriot antimissile battery, as well as equipment that converts unguided munitions into precision-guided missiles. Ukraine’s electrical grid and other infrastructure have been pommeled by ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones that Russia acquired from Iran.

While the two leaders were careful not to publicly disagree about strategy, a brief exchange underscored the tension between Kyiv and Washington over the pace and scope of military aid.

During Wednesday’s news conference, a Ukrainian reporter asked Mr Biden whether the US should provide Kyiv with everything it needs all at once. “His answer is ‘yes,’” Mr Biden quipped. “I agree,” Mr Zelensky joked.

But Mr Biden warned that doing so could escalate the conflict and risk war spreading across Europe.

“The idea that we would give Ukraine materiel that is fundamentally different than [what] is already going there would have a prospect of breaking up NATO and breaking up the European Union and the rest of the world,” Mr Biden said.

First Lady Jill Biden with Mr Zelensky and her husband. Picture: AFP

Mr Biden said the US delivery of the Patriot missile systems shouldn’t be seen by Russia as an escalation because they are defensive weapons. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Moscow would target any Patriot batteries that are provided to Ukraine, a threat that would force Ukraine to protect the air-defence systems.

Members of Congress are slated to provide an additional $US44.9bn ($66.6bn) for Ukraine and NATO allies through a fiscal 2023 spending bill. Ukraine has received several rounds of funding from the US, with nearly $US54 billion ($80 billion) approved as of May.

House Republicans are set to take the majority in January and likely will be resistant to more Ukraine spending. Some in the GOP conference have called for a full audit of how Washington and Kyiv have spent the money, and Kevin McCarthy, who is running for House speaker, has said Republicans wouldn’t write a “blank check” for Ukraine.

Other senior Republicans have argued for providing additional aid to Ukraine. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday that supporting Kyiv was in the US’s strategic interest.

“Helping equip our friends in Eastern Europe to win this war is also a direct investment in reducing Putin’s future capabilities to menace America, threaten our allies and contest our core interests,” Mr McConnell said.

Mr Zelensky’s visit drew comparisons to the historic wartime visit of Winston Churchill, the British prime minister who gave a speech in the Senate chamber on December 26, 1941, during World War II.

“Where Winston Churchill stood generations ago, so too will President Zelensky stand here today, not just as a president, but as an ambassador of freedom itself,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

After his meeting with Mr Biden, the Ukrainian leader travelled to Capitol Hill. He met with departing house Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and then had a separate meeting with the top four congressional leaders — Mrs Pelosi and Messrs McCarthy, Schumer and McConnell — ahead of his speech to congress.

Mr Zelensky’s trip to the US is the product of a week of secret talks between officials in Kyiv and Washington, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Senior officials in congress and at the White House sought to keep Mr Zelensky’s visit under wraps, fearing that the Ukrainian leader’s security could be at risk as he made the dangerous trip by train from Ukraine to Poland.

The Wall Street Journal