Zelensky’s deal with to Congress, annotated

As delivered through interpreter

Thanks very a lot. Madam Speaker, members of the Congress, women and gents, People, buddies, I’m proud to greet you from Ukraine, from our capital metropolis of Kyiv, a metropolis that’s underneath missile and airstrikes from Russian troops daily. But it surely doesn’t quit, and we’ve got not even considered it for a second.

Similar to many different cities and communities in our lovely nation which discovered themselves within the worst warfare since World Battle II. I’ve the consideration to greet you on behalf of the Ukrainian individuals, courageous and freedom-loving individuals who for eight years have been resisting the Russian aggression.

Those that give their finest little children to cease this full-scale Russian invasion. Proper now the future of our nation is being determined. The future of our individuals, whether or not Ukrainians can be free, whether or not they are going to be capable to protect their democracy. Russia has attacked not simply us, not simply our land, not simply our cities; it went on a brutal offensive in opposition to our values, primary human values. It threw tanks and planes in opposition to our freedom, in opposition to our proper to stay freely in our personal nation selecting our personal future.

In opposition to our want for happiness, in opposition to our nationwide desires, similar to the identical desires you’ve gotten, you People. Similar to anybody else in the US. I keep in mind your nationwide memorial in [Mount] Rushmore, the faces of your outstanding presidents, those that laid the muse of the US of America as it’s at this time — democracy, independence, freedom and care for everybody, for each particular person, for everybody who works diligently, who lives actually, who respects the regulation.

We in Ukraine need the identical for our individuals. All that could be a regular a part of your individual life. Women and gents, buddies, People, in your nice historical past, you’ve gotten pages that may let you perceive Ukrainians, perceive us now if you want it proper now. Once we want you proper now.

Bear in mind Pearl Harbor. Horrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Simply keep in mind it. Bear in mind September 11th, a horrible day in 2001 when evil tried to show your cities, impartial territories in battlefields. When harmless individuals have been attacked from air, sure. Similar to no person else anticipated it, you may not cease it.

Our nation skilled the identical daily. Proper now, at this second, each night time for 3 weeks now, varied Ukrainian cities: Odesa … [names long list of Ukrainian cities], Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky right into a supply of demise for hundreds of individuals. Russian troops have already fired almost 1,000 missiles at Ukraine, numerous bombs, they use drones to kill us with precision. This can be a terror that Europe has not seen for 80 years and we’re asking for our life for a solution to this terror from the entire world.

Is that this lots to ask for, to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save lots of individuals? Is that this an excessive amount of to ask? Humanitary, no-fly zone, one thing that Russia will be unable to terrorize our free cities.

If that is an excessive amount of to ask, we provide another. You understand what sort of protection techniques we’d like, S-300 and different related techniques. You understand how a lot depends upon the battlefield, on the flexibility to make use of plane, highly effective, sturdy aviation to guard our individuals, our freedom, our land. Aircrafts that may assist Ukraine, assist Europe and you already know that they exist and you’ve got them however they’re on Earth, not in Ukraine — within the Ukrainian sky. They don’t defend our individuals.

I’ve a dream, these phrases are recognized to every of you at this time. I can say, I’ve a necessity. I would like to guard our sky. I would like your determination, your assist, which suggests precisely the identical, the identical you’re feeling if you hear the phrases, “I’ve a dream.”

Women and gents, buddies, Ukraine is grateful to the US for its overwhelming assist, for all the pieces that your authorities and your individuals have accomplished for us, for weapons and ammunition for coaching, for funds, for management within the free world, which helps us to strain the aggressor economically.

I’m grateful to President Biden for his private involvement, for his honest dedication to the protection of Ukraine and democracy everywhere in the world. I’m grateful to you for the decision which acknowledges all those that commit crimes in opposition to Ukraine, in opposition to the Ukrainian individuals as warfare criminals. Nonetheless, now, it’s true within the darkest time for our nation, for the entire Europe, I name on you to do extra. New packages of sanctions are wanted, continuously, each week till the Russian navy machine stops.

Restrictions are wanted for everybody on whom this unjust regime is predicated. We suggest that the US sanctions all politicians within the Russian Federation who stay of their places of work and don’t lower ties with those that are chargeable for the aggression in opposition to Ukraine, from state Dumas members to the final official who has lack of ethical to interrupt this state terror. All [American companies] should go away Russia from their market, go away their market instantly as a result of it’s flooded with our blood. Women and gents, members of Congress, please take the lead when you’ve got firms in your district who finance the Russian navy machine leaving enterprise in Russia, you need to put strain. I’m asking to ensure that the Russians don’t obtain a single penny that they use to destroy individuals in Ukraine. The destruction of our nation, the destruction of Europe. All American ports ought to be closed for Russian items. We’re — peace is extra essential than revenue and we’ve got to defend this precept in the entire world.

We already turned a part of the anti-war coalition, an enormous anti-war coalition that unites many international locations, dozens of nations, those that reacted in precept to President Putin’s determination to invade our nation, however we have to transfer on and do extra. We have to create new instruments to reply shortly and cease the warfare, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24th. And it will be truthful if it led to a day, that in 24 hours, that evil could be punished instantly. Immediately the world doesn’t have such instruments. The warfare of the previous have prompted our predecessors to create establishments that ought to defend us from warfare, however they sadly don’t work. We see it, you see it, so we’d like new ones, new establishments, new alliances and we provide them.

We suggest to create an affiliation U-24 united for peace, a union of accountable international locations which have the power and consciousness to cease conflicts instantly, present all the mandatory help in 24 hours, if mandatory, even weapons if mandatory, sanctions, humanitarian assist, political assist, funds, all the pieces that you must hold the peace and shortly save the world, save lives.

As well as, such affiliation, such union would supply help to those that are experiencing pure disasters, man-made disasters, who fell victims to humanitarian disaster or epidemic. Bear in mind how troublesome it was for the world to do the best issues, simply to present vaccines, vaccines in opposition to Covid to save lots of lives, to stop new strains. The world spent months, years doing issues like that a lot sooner, to ensure there aren’t any human losses, no victims.

Women and gents, People, if such alliance would exist at this time, that’s U-24, we might be capable to save hundreds of lives in our nation. In lots of international locations of the world, those that want peace, those that undergo inhumane destruction. I ask you to look at one video, video of what the Russian troops did in our nation, in our land. We’ve got to cease it. We should forestall it, preventably destroy each single aggressor who seeks to subjugate different nations.

Please watch the video.

[IN ENGLISH] And ultimately, to sum it up, at this time, at this time it isn’t sufficient to be the chief of the nation. Immediately takes to be the chief of the world. Being the chief of the world means to be the chief of peace. Peace in your nation doesn’t rely anymore solely on you and your individuals. It depends upon these subsequent to you, on those that are sturdy. Robust doesn’t imply weak. Robust is courageous and able to struggle for the lifetime of his residents and residents of the world. For human rights, for freedom, for the correct to stay decently, and to die when your time comes. And never when it’s wished by another person. By your neighbor.

[IN ENGLISH] Immediately the Ukrainian persons are defending not solely Ukraine, we’re preventing for the values of Europe and the world, [inaudible] within the identify of the longer term. That’s why at this time the American persons are serving to not simply Ukraine, however Europe and the world, to maintain the planet alive, to maintain justice in historical past. Now I’m nearly 45 years outdated. Immediately my age stopped when the center of greater than 100 kids stopped beating.

I see no sense in life if it can’t cease the deaths. And that is my most important concern because the chief of my individuals, nice Ukrainians, and because the chief of my nation, I’m addressing the President Biden, you’re the chief of the nation, of your nice nation. I want you to be the chief of the world. Being the chief of the world means to be the chief of peace.

Thanks.

[IN UKRAINIAN] Glory to Ukraine.

[IN ENGLISH] Thanks to your assist.