Zelensky lights new fire under Congress — with limits

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday implored the U.S. to “close the sky over Ukraine,” invoking Pearl Harbor and 9/11 and showing graphic images of the destruction and death wrought by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

“Right now, the destiny of our country is being decided, the destiny of our people, whether the Ukrainians will be free, whether they will be able to preserve their democracy,” Zelensky said in an impassioned virtual address to members of Congress. “Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky brought a moment of enormous drama to Washington Wednesday, when he gave a virtual address to Congress.

The Ukrainian president, dressed in his trademark military-green t-shirt, pleaded for help as his nation tries to fend off the Russian forces who invaded three weeks ago.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s emotional speech to America on Wednesday stirred a new appetite on Capitol Hill for more aggressive steps to counter Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — with clear limits.

Lawmakers in both parties emerged from the cavernous auditorium in the Capitol where they’d gathered to watch the speech embracing some of Zelensky’s pleas, including those to provide more anti-aircraft weapons and install tougher sanctions on leading Russian figures.

“My hope is that what comes out of today’s discussion with President Zelensky and all of us working together in a bipartisan basis is to tighten the sanctions immediately, is to provide more armaments that they actually need to defend themselves … and give them a fighting chance to protect themselves,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus.