Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ended a surprise 10-hour visit to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday with a 25-minute speech, in English, before a joint session of Congress. Zelensky told lawmakers that Ukraine is still "alive and kicking" 10 months after Russia's invasion and will "never surrender." He thanked President Biden, both parties in both houses of Congress, and the American people for the billions in economic and military assistance they have given Ukraine, and he said Ukraine needs more aid to win.
"Your money is not charity," Zelensky said. "It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way." This battle against anti-democratic tyranny "cannot be frozen or postponed, it cannot be ignored hoping that the ocean or something else will provide protection," he added. "So much depends on the world. So much in the world depends on you."
Zelensky's speech was received with enthusiasm from the vast majority of lawmakers present, who gave him 18 standing ovations, The Washington Post reports. He gave Congress a Ukrainian battle flag signed by frontline soldiers in Bakhmut, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave him an American flag that had flown over the Capitol on Wednesday.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Zelensky earlier Wednesday had met with Biden in the White House, where they held a joint press conference. "The two leaders appeared to share a warm rapport, laughing at each other's comments and patting each other on the back throughout the visit, though Zelensky made clear he will continue to press Biden and other Western leaders for ever more support," The Associated Press reports.
Biden announced a $1.8 billion military aid package, notably including a Patriot air defense battery, at the press conference. Zelensky said that once his troops are trained and the system is up and running, "we will send another signal to President Biden that we would like to get more Patriots." Amid laughter, he added, "We are in the war. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Biden drew laughs in his response to a question from a Ukrainian journalist about why the U.S. can't just give Ukraine everything it wants now.
"We understand in our bones that Ukraine's fight is part of something much bigger," Biden said. "The American people know if we stand by with such blatant attacks on democracy and liberty . . . the world would surely face worse consequences."
You can watch a brief recap of Zelensky's trip to Washington below.
-
September 14 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-warTalking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Russia's Crimea fleet shipyard on fire after Ukrainian missile strikePhotos and videos showed huge explosions and raging fires at the Sevastopol Shipyard
-
Luton Airport bendy buses join Ukraine war effortfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Would North Korean weapons tilt the war Russia’s way?Today's Big Question Putin wants to boost ‘depleted stocks’ but Pyongyang’s arms may be in poor condition
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
