Congress Vows $10 Billion for Ukraine as Leader Reveals Russian Invasion Horrors

(This Zoom call snapshot of Ukraine's President Zelenskyy was shared by GOP Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida)

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have vowed to approve $10 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine, as the nation has been fighting off a brutal, escalating invasion by Vladimir Putin’s Russia for ten days now.

Ukraine to Get Billions of Dollars ASAP

So far, the vastly outgunned Ukrainians have been fighting valiantly and efficiently.

They not only thwarted Putin’s initial plan to conquer their country in one to two days, but have also been inflicting severe casualties upon the Russian military.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has requested at least $10 billion from Congress for security, economic, and military assistance to Ukraine and its neighbors already handling more than 1.4 million refugees.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) made it clear the emergency aid to the embattled Ukrainians is to be delivered in the next few weeks.

During his appeal to American lawmakers, the Ukrainian president once again called for the US-led NATO alliance to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

This proposition was flatly denied once again by Congress because it would mean the US and its allies shooting down Russian warplanes.

That would lead to a nuclear war with Russia, which would likely destroy humanity and maybe even all life on the planet.

Big Soviet-Era Fighter Planes Question

Besides the no-fly zone appeal – which came just as Russian dictator Putin warned this is going to lead to war, Zelenskyy asked US lawmakers for more sanctions, including on Russia’s lucrative oil and natural gas exports, and for more weapons and airplanes.

Zelenskyy in particular asked the US to help realize a plan under which members of NATO and the European Union would transfer their Soviet Era warplanes to Ukraine so it can use them to fight the Russians.

Representatives of the European Union have also hinted at this plan, including by suggesting the EU could reimburse the three former communist nations for the plane they may transfer to Ukraine.

For the time being, however, the plan in question is ridden with all kinds of unknowns – from the condition of the planes, and the willingness of the three countries to give them up, to the potential Russian reaction.

According to a Senate source, the Ukrainian leader said the Biden administration is preventing Poland from giving its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, a proposition confirmed by GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

However, an unnamed Pentagon official has been cited as denying the US is precluding other NATO countries from giving their old Soviet planes to the Ukrainians.

The report about Zelenskyy’s call with the US lawmakers cites Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana who said the plucky Ukrainian president “spoke from the heart”.

Daines also said the Ukrainian leader referred to the Russians as “devils”, and offered Congress plenty of details about how Putin’s troops have been bombarding kindergartens, a school for children with special needs, and three nuclear power plants.

 

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