Earlier, we witnessed history in DC. We saw President Zelensky arrive in Washington, meet with President Biden, and address Congress. Here is a man who is the unwavering, stalwart president of the Ukraine, away from his war-torn country and his battle-weary people for the first time since the war began, talking to ALL American people, thanking them, with sincerity and gratitude, for their unwavering love, support, loyalty, and friendship. The courage and resilience of this small, yet formidable fellow has, not surprisingly, been compared to the great Sir Winston Churchill. Truly humble men seem to be an endangered species, nowadays; President Zelensky has indeed proven to us all that such great men truly still DO exist. While here in the US for his brief visit, I am sure even the most basic of comforts must seem to his eyes great and rare luxuries, in stark contrast to his "bare bones" existence of the past 10 months. Zelensky......a true hero for our troubled times...... "Live long and prosper"
Agreed; so did I. It was also most refreshing, indeed, to hear a "man in power" talk "straight talk" to the people, instead of the usual "brag and bluster, look at how big I am" routine. The honesty and the integrity of this incredible man indeed was spotlighted last evening. One cannot even begin to fully comprehend what this man has experienced, during the past ten months. Zelensky has seen his beloved homeland almost totally destroyed, cities and towns in ruins; he has seen his people murdered, mainmed, and tortured, including children. And yet, this small-statured man STILL stands at the side of his people and his country, never wavering, always standing firm, resilient, and courageous. You cannot help but to admire him........ "Live long and prosper"
newo: I am in total agreement, my friend. I say a prayer every day that he will not end up losing his life in defense of his country. To say that this incredible man has GUTS and RESILIENCE is, indeed, QUITE an understatement. A true HERO for our times, for certain....... "Live long and prosper"
Great speech. Maybe it's time he asked a few nations next door to them for some help, too - you know, Putin's next conquests. Why is the US always the rich uncle and world policeman? I find it laughable that all of a sudden Sweden and Finland decide to "join" NATO, now that they are shitting their pants.
"Three hundred days ago, Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a new assault into Ukraine, where his troops had been fighting since 2014. Apparently, he expected that a new strike would bring a quick victory that would enable him to break away the eastern regions of Ukraine and annex them to Russia with a puppet government in place, expanding his territory and power. Today, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky—whose leadership of the Ukrainians, who have refused to yield and whose resistance has debilitated the Russian military, has made him an international hero—made his first trip outside Ukraine since the invasion began. Flying on a U.S. government plane, Zelensky came to the White House to thank President Biden, Congress, and the American people for their support. Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were instrumental in convincing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—which former president Trump had quite deliberately weakened—to stand together against Russian aggression. Biden and Blinken pulled together allies around the globe to sanction Russia and Russian individuals and entities, making the Russian economy suffer increasingly as the war went on. And they have urged countries around the world to rush money and supplies to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression. From the beginning, Biden and Blinken recognized that if Russia were permitted to crush the sovereignty of Ukraine and take its territory, the concept of an international rules-based order that has protected much of the world since World War II would have been abandoned. They also recognized that involving NATO directly in the war would have given Putin the stature he craved and would have led at the very least to an extensive ground war. The U.S. offered to evacuate Zelensky as Russian troops moved in. “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelensky answered. For ten months now, the Ukrainians first held their own, and then recovered significant territory from the invaders, even as Putin tried to claim Ukrainian lands as his own. The process of reclaiming their territory has been heartwrenching as it has become clear that Russian soldiers and their leaders engaged in murder, torture, rape, and other war crimes. Now, the Russians are targeting missile strikes at civilian infrastructure, knocking out heat and electricity in the bitter winter cold, hoping to inflict yet more suffering on Ukraine. And yet, the Ukrainians fight on. In a time when democracy seemed to be on the ropes and authoritarians like Putin seemed to be gaining the upper hand, the Ukrainians came to stand for the power of democracy. They showed that Putin’s mighty army was hollowed out by corruption and apathy, while the Ukrainians, who were supposed to be weak, dropped their civilian lives to defend their country. They showed that Putin’s claim of moral superiority over secular democracies—which, he said, were a cesspool of decadence—was a sham: his mercenaries committed war crimes and boasted of it. As the western Allies had done during World War II, the Ukrainians demonstrated that democracy, for all its messiness, was far superior to authoritarianism. Sadly, it has been a demonstration some Americans were not eager to see as they continue to believe that the willingness of secular democracies to welcome LGBTQI+ individuals and racial minorities as equals to white, straight Christians is undermining society. Speaking in English today to make sure Americans got his message directly, Zelensky thanked Congress for the bipartisan support Ukraine has received, and the American people, who have invested significant tax dollars in the Ukrainians’ efforts. He conveyed “thanks from our just ordinary people to your ordinary people, Americans. I really appreciate. I think it’s very difficult to—to understand what does it mean when we say appreciate, but—but you really have—have to feel it. And thank you so much.” Zelensky also came to ask for more aid, both military and humanitarian, to support Ukraine’s war effort. Congress has proposed $44 billion in aid in the new omnibus funding package, bringing the U.S. package so far to more than $100 billion in military and humanitarian aid over four spending packages. While a few right-wing Republicans are complaining about this spending, it is worth noting that the U.S. annual defense budget Congress passed earlier this month was $858 billion. This evening, Zelensky spoke to a joint meeting of the Congress, where the members greeted him with a standing ovation (with the pointed exception of some right-wing House members). He described Ukraine’s defense as a battle between democracy and authoritarianism across the globe, and assured Americans, “Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.” “We defeated Russia in the battle for minds of the world,” he said. “We have no fear, nor should anyone in the world have it. Ukrainians gained this victory, and it gives us courage which inspires the entire world. “Americans gained this victory, and that’s why you have succeeded in uniting the global community to protect freedom and international law. Europeans gained this victory, and that’s why Europe is now stronger and more independent than ever. The Russian tyranny has lost control over us. And it will never influence our minds again. “Yet, we have to do whatever it takes to ensure that countries of the Global South also gain such victory. I know one more, I think very important, thing: The Russians will stand a chance to be free only when they defeat the Kremlin in their minds.” At the end of his speech, Zelensky presented a signed Ukrainian flag from the recent battleground of Bakhmut, in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris, the president of the Senate, who were seated behind him. In a dramatic image, they held it up between them before giving Zelensky a U.S. flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol today to mark his visit in exchange. Putin lately seems desperate to make Russia look like a world power. Two days ago he was in Belarus, apparently trying to shore up his armies, and claims he is adding an additional 500,000 soldiers to those he says are already in the ranks. Today he exaggerated outlandishly at a meeting of Russia’s defense chiefs, saying that NATO countries are using their full military capabilities against Russia. In contrast to Putin’s boasts and trip to Belarus, Zelensky traveled on a U.S. plane to meet with President Biden at the White House and give a speech to a joint session of Congress. His visit demonstrated that the U.S. will give Ukraine what Biden said is its "unequivocal and unbending support" for “as long as it takes.” Heather Cox Richardson
piobaire: EXCELLENT commentary, my friend....thank you for posting it here to share with us. Last night, indeed, was a historic event, to be sure, one that I was fortunate enough to follow on television. Putin's unquenchable ego, I am sure, is playing a HUGE part in the ongoing War. He's incapable of admitting to wrong, incapable of any sort of decency or humanity, or, for that matter, utilizing any hint common sense. Earlier this year, I found it most ironic, to say the least, seeing Putin attend a church service in Moscow, just a week after Russian forces destroyed several houses of worship in Ukraine. Zelensky, on the other hand, relies on his dignity, his decency, his faith, and, above all, his COURAGE. IMHO, Putin could learn many, many valuable lessons from President Zelensky........ "Live long and prosper"
Not that I don't think it's the right thing to do, arming Ukraine and all, but it seems NATO and the UN are comprised of a few other wallets, too, that don't seem to open much. Then Zelensky gives his we want more speech and today, the stock market is down 4%....even Raytheon, who will sell Patriot missile defense systems now is on the slide.
Here's a detailed, in-depth, interesting page (w/photos)....... Volodymyr Zelenskyy - Wikipedia "Live long and prosper"
The Ukraine is in such ruins, that, IMHO, it will be many, many years before even SOME semblence of normalcy begins to take shape. The ruined cities and towns, destroyed infrastructure, and near-total desolation is so vast and so severe, that, IMHO, no price tag can ever be put on Ukraine's rebuilding and recovery. Zelensky, indeed, is going to need every iota of his inner strength and resilience to continue standing tall for his ravaged homeland and his battle-weary people...... "Live long and prosper"
In thinking of Zelensky, I am reminded of something I penned long ago: "It is not the SIZE of a man that dictates WHO will be the victor in a battle; it is, instead, his COURAGE and DIGNITY. When battling a more-than-formidable enemy (as is Zelensky) it is by sheer WILLPOWER and a steadfast BELIEF in your faith and your courage that commands you to stand tall as a hero, even BEFORE the battle is won....... "Live long and prosper"
......heard on the news earlier that (not surprisingly) there is heavy Russian shelling hitting the Ukraine. I was praying that, at least on Christmas, there could a brief respite for the Ukranian people, for at least ONE day. So many (far too many) empty places at the table this Christmas; so many shortages, dwindling supplies, bitter winter cold.......President Zelensky and his people are, at this very moment, displaying to the world how to suffer hardships with dignity and courage. May there be some sort of hope for this battered, ravaged country, and its resilent, courageous people..... "Live long and prosper"
Not true at all. There are complicated historical reasons why those two countries stayed out of NATO for so long. But those reasons no longer exist, nor do the benefits of staying neutral, now that russia's attitude by their own choice has turned bad. But "shitting their pants"? Lol, no. We are now seeing the russian army as the impotent paper tiger that it is. And Finland has the EU's largest artillery force, easy to defend terrain, and a defense force that has spent the past 7 decades training and preparing for this exact possibility. Sweden has a very competent air force, and the Jas Gripen is an excellent fighter with full NATO-armaments compatibility. There will be no pants shitting. This is a simple matter of covering all the bases and also diplomatically telling putin and his band of war criminals where he can shove it. Finland and Sweden staying out of NATO was an act of kindness and a show of good faith. Good faith that is no longer there due to war criminal putin's intentionally malicious choices.
Interesting information on NATO*...... NATO - Wikipedia "Live long and prosper" *Scroll down page for information on NATO and the 2022 Russian invasion.....
