-
Olena Zelenska appeals to U.S. Congress for more weapons against Russia's 'Hunger Games'
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska appealed to U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday (July 19) to provide more help to her country as it struggles against a five-month-long Russian invasion, saying weapons could help assure a "joint great victory."
"We remain completely broken when our world is destroyed by war. Tens of thousands of such worlds have been destroyed in Ukraine," she said through a translator, in an emotional 15-minute speech to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, showed videos of children she said had been wounded or killed, including a three-year-old boy now in Germany learning how to use prosthetic limbs.
She said in reference to a series of novels and movies in which people hunt one another: "How many children like him are there in Ukraine? How many families like this may still be destroyed by war? These are Russia's 'Hunger Games."
Zelenska said: "I am asking for weapons, weapons that would not be used to wage a war on somebody else's land, but to protect one's home and the right to wake up alive in that home.”
She said: "The answer is right here in Washington, D.C. ... Help us to stop this terror against Ukrainians and this will be our joint great victory in the name of life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Olena Zelenska, Ukraine first lady, to address US Congress on Wednesday
The United States has provided $8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the war began, including $2.2 billion in the last month, the Biden administration says. Members of Congress responded warmly and said they were ready to authorize more.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said after the speech: "They're not asking for U.S. soldiers. They are asking for U.S. weapons. I think now's the time to put together another aid package to go into 2023 with a supply of advanced weapons and economic assistance to stay in the fight.”
Source: swissinfo
