Zelensky Takes Center Stage In Congress: Desperate For Help As The Horror Escalates

Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky

Even as Volodymyr Zelensky rose on stage to address the most powerful legislative body and appeal for support against Russia’s crushing invasion. He has used his campaign to appeal for western support and direct intervention even as Putin mercilessly obliterates city after city.

Campaigning from his base in Kyiv, Zelensky displayed courage and has forced the Western powers to rush arms and other essential materials to his beleaguered side. Short of actual intervention, the west is trying everything within its powers.

Zelensky has honed his strategy to get the maximum from his backers. He has used his public appeals to world leaders to close the sky and stop Russia from carrying on its bombing campaign. But western nations realize the implications of a confrontation with Russia.

Zelensky Has Stressed That Just Aid Will Not Be Enough

President Biden is expected to give his address after Zelensky’s speech where he will expectedly announce an additional $800 million in security aid to Ukraine. That would bring the total aid announced to $1B.

This money incles air defense weapons, anti-armor missiles, and other modern armaments according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity[A1] 

Zelensky has emerged as a heroic figure in his army green T-shirt fighting a lone war which western experts view as the greatest threat to world peace since the Second World War. The number of refugees has risen to 3 million and each day fresh towns and cities are being targeted adding to the numbers.

Zelensky gave a glimpse of his desperation and anger in his address to the Canadian Parliament when he spoke of appealing for help in closing the skies and getting mere sympathetic words in return.

If finally, Ukrainian resistance crumbles, as it will without direct intervention from the West, it will stand as a testimony of the barbarism inflicted by Putin and also of a global system that stood by and watched the horror unfold, too fearful to act. And that is exactly where Zelensky has targeted his appeal, pointing at their sense of their greatness and by evoking history.