Ukrainian President Zelenskyy delivered historic speech to Congress at a crucial moment in Ukraine war: 'Ukraine is alive'
Business InsiderDec 24, 2022
Day 302: In US Trip, Zelenskyy Invokes Fight Against Nazi Germany
Image copyright: AP Photos [via AP News]
The Facts
In a whirlwind trip to Washington lasting less than 10 hours on Wednesday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with counterpart Joe Biden, addressed a joint session of Congress and held individual meetings with senators and members of Congress as he sought to galvanize further US support for Ukraine.
The visit came as the US approved a further $1.85B in assistance for Ukraine, but was scrambling to approve a $1.7T omnibus spending bill to avoid a government shutdown that will include an extra $45B for the war-torn country — a move opposed by some Republican senators.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Continued US financial and military support to Ukraine is essential for it to keep staving off Russian aggression and to ultimately secure Ukraine’s sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity.
Pro-Russia narrative
Despite repeated Russian warnings, the US is continuing to escalate the conflict with its delivery of funds and advanced weaponry. This is increasingly raising the prospects of a wider escalation with unpredictable consequences.
Cynical narrative
Multi-billion dollar weapons packages will make little difference in the outcome of the war. The US has been meddling in Ukraine since the end of the Cold War, and what we're witnessing is a geopolitical ponzi scheme to benefit those aligned with the military-industrial complex. War is a lucrative racket.