Washington - "Jerusalem" dot com - Saeed Erekat - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday evening, in a speech he delivered to the US Congress with both representatives and senators, that the assistance provided by the United States to his country to confront the Russian invasion is "not charity" but rather an "investment" in global security. and democracy.

"I would like to thank you very much for the financial assistance that you have provided us and that you may decide to provide later," Zelensky said, addressing members of Congress in the session chaired by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, stressing that "your money is not charity." It is an investment in global security and democracy, and we are managing it in the most responsible way."

Zelensky told Congress that Europe is more powerful and Russia has failed to subjugate Ukraine, stressing that Ukraine will continue the battle until victory is achieved.

And US President Joe Biden announced during his reception of Zelensky at the White House on Wednesday that the United States "will continue to strengthen Ukraine's ability to defend itself, especially in terms of air defense," stressing his guest, who is making his first foreign visit since the start of the Russian military operation in a month. Last February, he supported Ukraine's aspiration for a "just peace".

Biden accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using the "winter cold" as a weapon against Ukrainian civilians by targeting electricity and water networks.

Zelensky, in turn, expressed to Biden "gratitude from the bottom of my heart" for Washington's role in confronting the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

It is noteworthy that Washington announced during Zelensky's visit a new package of military assistance that includes the Patriot air defense system, as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated that "the United States will provide Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine for the first time," and Blinken revealed that "the allocation of $ 850 million in security aid to Ukraine And a billion dollars to develop air defenses.

The legislators from both sides of the political aisle (Republican and Democratic) responded to the speech delivered by the Ukrainian president, while the war against Russia continues, with applause and standing more than once to express their enthusiastic support for the support provided by the United States to Ukraine, while Zelensky thanked the Americans constantly and increased American support.

Senate GOP Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said Zelensky was "inspirational as always" in his speech. "This is very important, the most important thing is to beat the Russians in Ukraine, and fortunately, they (Ukrainians) have a leader that everyone can admire, and also, it's good that we have something here at the end of the year that we all agree on," he said, referring to endorsing the continuation of Bipartisan US support.

At the end of his speech, which was described as historic, the Ukrainian President presented to the US Congress a Ukrainian flag that he brought with him from the battlefield. Zelensky told members of Congress in both chambers that this flag is a gift from the Ukrainian military who are fighting on the front line in Bakhmut, the city he said he visited on Tuesday, on the eve of his first trip abroad since the Russian forces began their operation in his country on February 24, 2022.