乌克兰总统沃洛季米尔·泽伦斯基周三对华盛顿进行了戏剧性的访问，这是自2000年以来他第一次离开乌克兰俄罗斯入侵始于二月。
他在白宫会见了美国总统乔·拜登，随后在国会发表讲话，国会议员们准备投票通过450亿美元的紧急援助，作为更大的一揽子支出计划的一部分。拜登周三还宣布，美国将向乌克兰派遣部队爱国者反导弹电池抵御俄罗斯毁灭性的攻击。
在3月份对美国立法者的虚拟讲话中，Zelenskyy动情地恳求采取更积极的措施来帮助打这场战争。泽伦斯基援引美国的主要悲剧，包括珍珠港和9月11日的袭击，告诉当时的成员，“只要记住它……我们的国家现在每天都在经历同样的事情。”
美国东部时间12月21日晚上8:21
泽伦斯基的演讲受到了众多掌声的欢迎
美国广播公司新闻频道(ABC News)的Will Steakin估计，在国会获得广泛两党支持的泽伦斯基在演讲期间获得了18次起立鼓掌。
可能成为下一任众议院议长的共和党少数党领袖凯文·麦卡锡几乎每隔一段时间就和其他议员一起起立鼓掌。
其他一些共和党人，包括众议员吉姆·乔丹(Jim Jordan)、安德鲁·克莱德(Andrew Clyde)、马特·盖兹(Matt Gaetz)和劳伦·博贝特(Lauren Boebert)，站起来鼓掌的不到一半，但也多次鼓掌。
演讲过程中，盖兹似乎一直在打电话。有一次，他笑着给伯特看了些东西
盖兹一直对未来的乌克兰援助持批评态度，而麦卡锡则呼吁共和党人确保对援助使用情况的问责。
-美国广播公司新闻的亚当·卡尔森
美国东部时间12月21日晚上8:43
给国会的礼物:士兵赠送的乌克兰国旗
在结束讲话时，泽伦斯基引用了已故总统富兰克林·罗斯福的话，并向国会赠送了一面由士兵签名的战旗，因为立法者正在讨论向乌克兰提供额外资金。
“‘美国人民，凭借他们的力量，将赢得绝对的胜利。’乌克兰人民也将赢得胜利，毫无疑问，”他在掌声中说道。
“我知道一切都取决于我们，取决于乌克兰武装力量，但世界在很大程度上也取决于我们。世界上很多事情都取决于你们，”他告诉立法者。“昨天我在巴赫穆特的时候，我们的英雄给了我旗帜，战旗，那些以生命为代价捍卫乌克兰、欧洲和世界的人的旗帜。”
乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基以副总统卡的身份在美国国会发表演讲...阅读更多
他说，士兵们让他把这面旗帜带给美国立法者，“他们的决定可以拯救数百万人。”
“女士们，先生们，让我们做出这个决定，让这面旗帜与你们同在。这面旗帜象征着我们在这场战争中的胜利。我们站起来，我们战斗，我们将赢得胜利，因为我们是团结的，乌克兰，美国和整个自由世界，”他说，把国旗递给佩洛西。
然后，她送给泽伦斯基一面折叠好的镶有镜框的美国国旗，这面国旗周三飘扬在国会大厦上空，以示对他来访的欢迎。他把它举得高高的，赢得了更多的掌声，然后很快就离开了会议厅。
美国东部时间12月21日晚上8:23
“我们对自己的信念之光不会熄灭”
泽伦斯基说，他的国家将坚持过冬，庆祝圣诞节。暗指俄罗斯对他的国家的基础设施，如能源资源的打击，他说，“即使没有电，我们对自己的信心之光也不会熄灭。”
“如果俄罗斯导弹袭击我们，我们会尽全力保护自己。如果他们用伊朗无人驾驶飞机袭击我们，我们的人民将不得不去平安夜的防空洞，乌克兰人仍然会坐在节日的桌子旁，相互欢呼，我们不需要知道每个人的愿望，因为我们知道我们所有人，数百万乌克兰人，都希望同样的事情:胜利，”他说。“只有胜利。”
他感谢拜登总统、国会“两党”和美国人民在过去10个月里对乌克兰的支持。
美国东部时间12月21日晚上8:31
“你的钱不是慈善，”泽伦斯基对援助的立法者说
在继续要求武器和财政援助的同时，泽伦斯基提醒立法者，他从未要求美国地面部队，美国领导人长期以来一直拒绝这样做。
“我相信我们和我们的联盟。乌克兰从未要求美国士兵代替我们在我们的土地上作战。我向你保证，乌克兰士兵自己可以完美地操作美国坦克和飞机，”他说这话时赢得了一些笑声和掌声。
年，乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽伦斯基在美国国会大厦向美国国会发表演讲...阅读更多
“你的钱不是施舍。这是对全球安全和民主的投资，我们以最负责任的方式处理，”他说，也赢得了掌声和欢呼。
该讲话发表之际，立法者正在考虑向乌克兰提供数十亿美元的额外援助，作为更大的政府支出计划的一部分，这遭到了一些众议院共和党人人的抵制并呼吁对这个饱受战争蹂躏的国家的资金进行更多的监督。
In historic address, Ukraine's Zelenskyy tells Congress: 'We are united ... the entire free world'
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a dramatic visit to Washington Wednesday -- his first known trip outside Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February.
He met with President Joe Biden at the White House and later addressed Congress as lawmakers are set to vote on $45 billion more in emergency aid as part of a larger spending package. Biden on Wednesday also announced the U.S. will send Ukraine a Patriot anti-missile battery to defend against devastating Russian attacks.
In a virtual address to U.S. lawmakers back in March, Zelenskyy emotionally pleaded for more aggressive measures to help fight the war. Invoking key American tragedies, including Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attacks, Zelenskyy told members at the time, "Just remember it … Our country experiences the same every day right now."
Dec 21, 8:21 PM EST
Zelenskyy's speech welcomed by numerous ovations
ABC News' Will Steakin estimates that Zelenskyy, who has broad bipartisan support on the Hill, received 18 standing ovations during his speech.
Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the likely next House speaker, stood and clapped along with other lawmakers at nearly every interval.
Some other Republicans, including Reps. Jim Jordan, Andrew Clyde, Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert, stood for less than half of the ovations but were seen repeatedly clapping as well.
Gaetz appeared to be on his phone through the speech. At one point he showed Boebert something with a smile
Gaetz has been critical of future Ukrainian aid while McCarthy has called for Republicans to ensure accountability on how it is used.
-ABC News' Adam Carlson
Dec 21, 8:43 PM EST
A gift for Congress: Ukrainian flag from soldiers
Closing his speech, Zelenskyy quoted late President Franklin D. Roosevelt and gifted a battle flag signed by soldiers to Congress as lawmakers debate additional funding to Ukraine.
"'The American people, in their might, will win to absolute victory.' The Ukrainian people will win too, absolutely," he said to applause.
"I know that everything depends on us, on Ukrainian armed forces, yet so much depends on the world. So much in the world depends on you," he told lawmakers. "When I was in Bakhmut yesterday, our heroes gave me the flag, the battle flag, the flag of those who defend Ukraine, Europe and the world at the cost of their lives."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the US Congress as Vice President Ka...Read More
He said soldiers gave him the flag to bring to U.S. lawmakers, "whose decisions can save millions of people."
"So let this decision be taken, let this flag stay with you, ladies and gentlemen. This flag is a symbol of our victory in this war. We stand, we fight and we will win because we are united, Ukraine, America and the entire free world," he said, handing the flag to Pelosi.
She then gifted Zelenskyy a folded and framed U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol on Wednesday in honor of his visit. He held it aloft, to more applause, and then exited the chamber shortly afterward.
Dec 21, 8:23 PM EST
'The light of our faith in ourselves will not be put out'
Zelenskyy said his country will persevere through the winter and celebrate Christmas. Alluding to Russian strikes on his country's infrastructure such as its energy resources, he said, "Even if there is no electricity, the light of our faith in ourselves will not be put out."
"If Russian missiles attack us, we'll do our best to protect ourselves. If they attack us with Iranian drones and our people will have to go to bomb shelters on Christmas Eve, Ukrainians will still sit down at the holiday table and cheer up each other, and we don't have to know everyone's wish as we know that all of us, millions of Ukrainians, wish the same: Victory," he said. "Only victory."
He thanked President Biden, "both parties" of Congress and the American people for supporting Ukraine over the last 10 months.
Dec 21, 8:31 PM EST
'Your money is not charity,' Zelenskyy tells lawmakers of aid
While continuing to ask for help with weapons and financial assistance, Zelenskyy reminded lawmakers that he has never asked for U.S. troops on the ground, which American leaders have long resisted.
"I believe in us and our alliance. Ukraine never asked the American soldiers to fight on our land instead of us. I assure you that Ukrainian soldiers can perfectly operate American tanks and planes themselves," he said to some laughs and applause.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the US Congress at the US Capitol in...Read More
"Your money is not charity. It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way," he said, also to applause and cheers.
The speech comes as lawmakers consider billions in additional aid to Ukraine as part of a larger government spending package, which is seeing resistance from some House Republicans and calls on the right for more oversight on funding to the war-torn country.
