Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska asks Congress for air defense systems, thanks US for support
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska asks for weapons to stop Russian bombs hitting 'children in their strollers'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska on Wednesday addressed Congress in an emotional appeal as Russia continues its deadly war in Ukraine.
Zelenska highlighted the atrocities that Russian forces have committed on civilians, particularly on the children of Ukraine.
In an unusual turn of events, the Ukrainian first lady made a plea for arms and defensive weaponry to better fend off Russia’s continued assault.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, arrives to address members of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. (Michael Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)
PRESIDENT BIDEN, JILL BIDEN WELCOME UKRAINE'S FIRST LADY OLENA ZELENSKA TO THE WHITE HOUSE
"I’m asking for weapons," she said. "I’m asking for air defense systems in order for rockets not to kill children in their strollers
"Help us stop this terror," she continued. "And this will be our joy, a great victory in the name of life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We want every mother and every father to be able to tell their child ‘go to sleep peacefully, there will be no more air strikes’. Is this too much to wish for?" she questioned.
The Ukrainian first lady’s plea comes as Russia has increased its missile strikes across the country and is once again honing in on areas around the capital city of Kyiv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday announced that Moscow’s war ambition was no longer just "full control" over the Donbas regions, but said Russia has expanded the geographical objectives of its "special military operation."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Ukrainian soldier walks with children passing destroyed cars due to the war against Russia, in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 4, 2022. ( (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd))
Lavrov said the Kremlin’s objectives to "denazify" and demilitarize regions in Ukraine had extended to the Kherson, Zaporizhia and a "number of other territories" in Ukraine, reported Russian media outlets.
Though the foreign minister’s comments suggest this is a new strategy Moscow will pursue, Russian forces have occupied these areas and engaged in a brutal campaign there for months.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lavrov suggested Russia’s objectives in Ukraine had changed as Western allies continue to send defensive aid to Kyiv.
Rescuers work at a site of a shopping mall hit by a Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kremenchuk, in Poltava region, Ukraine June 27, 2022. (Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS )
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Lawmakers in Congress and the Biden administration have vowed to continue supporting Ukraine.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The Congress remains with Ukraine as it fights to defend democracy not only for its people but for the world," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said when introducing Zelenska.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) last week confirmed that there have been at least 11,544 civilian casualties in Ukraine with 5,024 people that have been killed, including 343 children, and 6,520 others who have been injured.
The OHCHR said it believes actual causality figures are "considerably higher" than what has been reported.