Zelenskyy to address US Congress, still hopes to meet with Putin

According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), she and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a letter to members of Congress saying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would virtually address a joint session this week. Rep. Pelosi discussed the letter during a Monday event at the Brooklyn Bridge with New York lawmakers.

“He asked me for this meeting when I spoke to him the end of last week,” Pelosi said. “We’re thrilled. It’s such a privilege to have this leader of this country, where these people are fighting for their democracy and our democracy.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki expressed a similar excitement for Wednesday’s address at her daily briefing Monday. The video above includes her comments, as well as some responses to the news from Senators on Tuesday.

“We certainly support leaders in Congress inviting him to address a joint session, and I would again reiterate that there’s strong bipartisan support for Ukraine, for the leadership and the bravery of President Zelenskyy, and we’ll all look forward to watching his speech on Wednesday,” Psaki said.

Wednesday’s address to Congress will come just over a week after President Zelenskyy addressed UK Parliament.

“I am addressing you as a citizen, and a president of another big country with a dream, and big effort,” Zelenskyy told Parliament last week. “We don’t want to lose what we have, what is ours, our country Ukraine, just the same as you didn’t want to lose your country when Nazis started to fight your country and you had to fight for Britain.”

Zelenskyy also addressed Canada’s parliament Tuesday. The announcement of Zelenskyy’s address to Congress came as Ukrainian and Russian officials held their fourth diplomatic meeting since the invasion began. Several hours of virtual negotiations did not lead to any breakthroughs. According to an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, negotiators then took “a technical pause”. They planned to meet again Tuesday. Over the weekend, Zelenskyy re-emphasized his intention to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Our delegation has a clear task to do everything to arrange the meeting of the presidents. The meeting, I’m sure, people are waiting for,” Zelenskyy said in a Sunday message. “It’s clear that it’s a difficult story, difficult path. But we need the path.”