Zelensky Speaks: Historical Commentary by Dan Rather

Editor’s Note: The following guest column was written by Dan Rather, right, following Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to a Joint Session to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.

Rather first published the column in his near-daily column “Steady,” which he so named to urge readers to stay balanced during our troubled times. This editor is a subscriber to the columns, which are published in collaboration with Elliot Kirschner and benefit from Rather’s experience and blunt, colorful style. Rather, whose 91st birthday was Oct. 31, is currently based in his native Texas. The iconic author and journalist worked for many years as the CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor.

– Andrew Kreig, Justice Integrity Project editor

Ukraine President Volodymyer Zelensky addresses a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress on Dec. 21, 2022 (Photo by Win McNamee via Getty Images).

A historic address to Congress and the nation

By Dan Rather

In the history of momentous occasions at the United States Congress, there has not been anything quite like what we witnessed.

A man. A moment. A nation under siege. Freedom on one side. A ruthless autocracy on the other.

By now, we all know the general story of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — a former comedian who as his nation’s leader has had the mantle of greatness thrust upon him. Through steadfast leadership and uncommon courage, against seemingly all odds, he has stared down a murderous tyrant, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a bloody battlefield. It is not hyperbole to say that the future of freedom in Europe and beyond stands in the balance.

In his speech tonight, Zelensky appealed to America, in the best of our own courageous traditions. He invoked the Battle of Saratoga, in which a plucky band of revolutionaries stood down the mighty British in our war for independence. And he spoke of the Battle of the Bulge, when U.S. forces countering the Nazis in World War II held the line during a brutal Christmas and New Year from 1944 to 1945. Zelensky’s message was not subtle, but it was effective. The Ukrainians, like the Americans, are fighting for freedom against a mighty foe and at great sacrifice.

In making the case for Ukrainian resolve, Zelensky quoted from President Franklin Roosevelt’s speech on December 8, 1941, in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor, when the United States suddenly entered World War II. Roosevelt said that “the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” Zelensky said the Ukrainians would do the same. The allusion to “absolute victory” was certainly not a coincidence when some are calling for the Ukrainians to accede to Russian demands.

Make no mistake, behind the fierce and often lofty rhetoric was a careful deployment of strategy. Zelensky wants the United States and other allies to not only maintain their support for the Ukrainian military, but in fact increase it. He said that Ukrainians could drive American tanks and fly American planes, although this country is not likely to provide that level of backing for fear of escalating to a larger regional conflict.

Zelensky needed to show his deep appreciation for the support he has received — and also suggest that this could and should be expanded. He spoke of urgent desperation with untold human suffering. Zelensky painted a compelling picture of Christmases by candlelight due to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure. And he spoke of millions of his fellow citizens living without heat or running water in the dark, cold days of winter. It was very effective at showing the depravity of Russian battle plans in their targeting of civilians.

It was heartening to see the rousing support Zelensky received by members of Congress, although there were some notable exceptions on the Republican side of the aisle. By and large, there has been bipartisan backing for Ukraine, but in a nation where everything is ultimately passed through the meat grinder of partisan politics, this cannot be assured.

Contact JIP editor Andrew Kreig

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Dec. 22

During a Dec. 21 address to a joint session Congress, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky presents to the people of the United States a Ukraine flag signed by the country’s fighters he visited this week at the Ukraine-Russia war’s hotest frontline battlefield of Bakmut, which has been pulverized fo. months by Russian attacks but resists strongly

New York Times, Ukraine Is ‘Alive and Kicking,’ Zelensky Tells Congress, Ben Shpigel and Anushka Patil, Dec. 22, 2021 (print ed.). President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine capped his visit to Washington by asking Congress to approve nearly $50 billion in additional aid to his country. Swift passage would not only stop Russian influence in the region, but preserve democracy as a whole, he said.

Addressing a joint session of Congress, Mr. Zelensky spoke for roughly 25 minutes, mixing doses of humor with pleas for the future safety and stability of Ukraine. He delivered the speech in English, giving it more impact than if it had been translated from Ukrainian. 2m ago

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Congress to continue to support Ukraine. “Your money is not charity,” he said. “It’s an investment.”

Mr. Zelensky delivered his remarks in English and closed with “Happy victorious New Year” — drawing loud cheers.

President Volodymyr Zelensky told Congress that the fight now raging for Bakhmut, in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, could “change the trajectory of our war for independence and for freedom.”

That battle has turned into one of the bloodiest campaigns of the war, and as losses for both sides have mounted, Ukraine’s hold on the ravaged city has taken on a symbolism that outstrips its military significance. There are bumper stickers, artwork and T-shirts in shops across Ukraine with the slogan: “Bakhmut Holds.”

But in Washington on Wednesday, Mr. Zelensky emphasized that holding was not enough. “To ensure Bakhmut is not just a stronghold that holds back the Russian army, but for the Russian army to completely pull out, more cannons and shells are needed,” he said.

Before his trip to Washington to ask for that increased support, Mr. Zelensky made an unannounced visit on Tuesday to Bakhmut to rally the soldiers there. It was perhaps his most daring visit to the front lines since Russia invaded Ukraine, and a demonstration of defiance in the face of Moscow’s ceaseless assault against the ravaged eastern city.

Despite months of Russian bombardments and waves of assault by formations from the Wagner Group, an infamous paramilitary organization that has helped lead the Kremlin’s war effort in parts of Ukraine, the city has remained in Ukrainian control.

The Ukrainian forces holding Bakhmut are from a mix of units, including the 93rd Mechanized Brigade and the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade, that have been worn down by the nonstop Russian assaults. Other units relocated from southern Ukraine have arrived in recent weeks to bolster the defense of the city.

While Russian forces are digging in and establishing more fortified defensive positions across much of the 600-mile front, they have continued to assault Bakhmut from multiple directions.

Mr. Zelensky’s visit to Bakhmut came as Ukrainian troops say they have pushed Russians out of some positions on the edge of the city, although the situation there is far from stable.

“Last year, 70,000 people lived here in Bakhmut, in this city, and now only a few civilians stay,” Mr. Zelensky told Congress. “Every inch of that land is soaked in blood, roaring guns sound every hour.”

He told Congress that the troops he met with in Bakhmut had given him a Ukrainian battle flag and asked that he bring it to Washington.

“Let this flag stay with you, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “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.”

“This is so important,” said Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, speaking to reporters on the Hill. “The most important thing going on in the world is to beat the Russians in Ukraine. Fortunately they have a leader that everyone can look up to and admire. And also it’s nice to have something here at the end of the year that we all actually agree on.”

New York Times, Analysis: Zelensky’s Task Was to Thank Congress, Then Ask for Much More, David E. Sanger, Dec. 22, 2022. For all of his talk of victory against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed hints about his worries for the year ahead in his remarks in Washington.

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s carefully choreographed blitz of Washington was crafted as one part celebration of Russia’s failure to crush Ukraine, one part appreciation for the American taxpayers funding the battle, and one part sales pitch for keeping a fragile coalition together in the long, bloody and freezing winter ahead.

But between the lines were revealing hints of Mr. Zelensky’s worries about the year ahead.

For all the repeated talk of “victory,” and the comparisons of the current moment to the turning of World War II at the Battle of the Bulge, Mr. Zelensky and his top military officials doubt that the Russian forces that invaded in February can be vanquished anytime soon. And the Ukrainian president surely knows his country’s remarkable resilience in the first year of the war could be threatened in the second, and the resolve of its saviors could begin to waver.

A Russian buildup of forces has many officials wondering if a humiliated President Vladimir V. Putin is plotting a new attack. And for the first time, there are hairline fractures — but not cracks — among some allies and partners, including a minority of Republicans who question whether America should be spending tens of billions for a nation that is not a treaty ally.

It was up to Mr. Zelensky to address all of that and make the case for more without actually reading out a shopping list. He did so in a speech that was carefully designed to appeal to many constituencies, one in which the Ukrainian president came off as grateful and yet gently demanding more. He wants Abrams tanks and F-16 fighters, layered air defenses and the Patriot missile system that President Biden announced would soon be on its way.

New York Times, U.S. Aid Is ‘Not Charity,’ Zelensky Tells Congress as a Lengthy War Looms, Michael D. Shear and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Updated Dec. 22, 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky described military assistance for Ukraine as an investment in global security and democracy in the face of Russian aggression.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine delivered an emotional wartime appeal to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday night, telling Americans that “your money is not charity” and vowing that his people would eventually secure an improbable victory against Russia on behalf of all free nations.

“Against all odds and doom-and-gloom scenarios, Ukraine did not fall,” Mr. Zelensky said in halting but forceful English from the dais in the House chamber, where he was greeted with extended applause from lawmakers.

“Ukraine is alive and kicking,” he said. “And it gives me good reason to share with you our first joint victory: We defeated Russia in the battle for minds of the world.”

In blunt terms, Mr. Zelensky pleaded for more military assistance from the lawmakers, who are poised to approve $45 billion in additional aid by the end of the week, bringing the total over a year to nearly $100 billion. His message: Your support has kept President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia from overrunning our country. Now keep it coming.

New York Times, Investigation: Unmasking the Russian Military Unit That Killed Dozens in Bucha, Yousur Al-Hlou, Masha Froliak, Dmitriy Khavin, Christoph Koettl, Haley Willis, Alexander Cardia, Natalie Reneau and Malachy Browne, Dec. 22, 2022 (video report). Exclusive evidence obtained in a monthslong investigation identified the Russian regiment, and commander, behind one of the worst atrocities in Ukraine.

The killings were not random acts of violence. Read our takeaways. We identified 36 of the Ukrainian victims. These were their final moments.

New York Times, Live Updates: Zelensky Heads Home to Dire Situation After Hero’s Welcome in Washington, Andrew E. Kramer, Dec. 22, 2022.  President Volodymyr Zelensky was returning to Ukraine on Thursday after a high-profile visit to Washington that was greeted at home with mostly pride and hope that his impassioned, in-person appeals would keep American weapons and financial support flowing.

Amid the darkness and cold from Russian missile strikes that have knocked out power for millions of people as winter sets in — and after weeks of stalemate along much of the front line — the surprise presidential trip buoyed morale in Ukraine. Some Ukrainians said that they were cheered to see members of Congress chant during Mr. Zelensky’s appearance the patriotic greeting, “Glory to heroes!”

“Friends, everything will be fine, Ukraine will be fine, we will be given everything, we will be helped,” Valeriy Tryhub, a ski instructor, wrote in a post on Facebook.

Reached by telephone later, Mr. Tryhub said that he had stayed up until 2:30 a.m. to watch Mr. Zelensky’s address to a joint session of Congress, where the Ukrainian president received standing ovations and presented Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a Ukrainian flag that had been signed by soldiers.

“This is, without exaggeration, an historical event,” he said of Mr. Zelensky’s visit, his first trip abroad since Russia’s invasion in February.

Here’s what we know:

• While the U.S. gave the Ukrainian leader a coveted missile battery, additional aid was tied up by a political squabble in Washington.
• Zelensky’s U.S. trip lifts spirits during a cold winter for Ukraine.
• In Russia, Zelensky’s visit to Washington provokes outrage and ridicule.
• The Ukrainian leader sought to convey the reality of the war to Washington.
• Belarus’s leader tries to play down suggestions that recent military moves were aimed at Ukraine.
• Germany and France welcome Zelensky’s trip to Washington.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine arrived at the White House Wednesday for a show of solidarity with President Biden and a plea for continued support from his American allies as his country digs in for a long, cold winter of war. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was greeted by President Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the White House on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022 (New York Times Photo by Tom Brenner).

New York Times, Beside Zelensky, Biden Vows Support for ‘as Long as It Takes,’ Staff Reports, Dec. 22, 2021 (print ed.). Biden’s Pledge Comes During Zelensky’s Defiant Visit to U.S.

“I’ve never seen NATO or the E.U. more united about anything at all,” President Biden said about the U.S. and its allies’ support for Ukraine.

Mr. Biden and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine are holding a joint news conference. Watch live.Zelensky is flying back after he talks to Congress tonight. An exhausting trip? Or will his time on the U.S. plane, which has a cabin with a bed in it, be his most peaceful night of sleep in a while? I wonder.

This is quite a scene. A foreign journalist asks Zelensky and Biden if Ukraine could receive all that it needed to drive Russia out of Ukraine. “His answer is yes,” Biden cut in. “I agree,” Zelensky says. There is laughter in the room, but this is serious talk about what is needed — and what can be given — on the battlefield.

The U.S. has been unwilling to give long-range ATACMS missiles because their range could reach deep into Russian territory, and they would most likely be seen by Moscow as an escalatory step. And if Kyiv used the missiles to strike Moscow, the White House fears Russia would expand the war to NATO.

Let’s face it, one Patriot battery is a drop in the pan compared to what is needed considering the volume of Russian airstrikes.

And not to mention, Zolan and Katie, that the United States has at least 50 of these things, if not more.

Washington Post, A remarkable moment for two presidents, Toluse Olorunnipa, Dec. 22, 2022 (print ed.). Ukrainian leader briefly leaves his war-torn country to meet U.S. counterpart who has rallied nations on his behalf.

Capping a year in which they each faced long odds and defied gloomy predictions, the two men stood side by side at the White House on Wednesday — President Biden in a blue suit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an olive-green military shirt and heavy boots.

The stark sartorial contrast was one of the few differences on display as Biden and Zelensky praised one another and presented a united front during the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Washington, his first appearance abroad since Russia’s invasion. The visit underscored how the relationship between the two men — a 44-year-old born in what was then the U.S.S.R. and an octogenarian born in Scranton, Pa. — has unexpectedly become one of the most vital partnerships in global affairs.

Washington Post, Amid a show of unity, Zelensky and Biden differ on some war needs, Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan, Dec. 22, 2022 (print ed.). Behind the smiles and handshakes — and a new $1.85 billion military aid package — the Ukrainian president and his advisers continue to push Washington for advanced weaponry that Biden is reluctant to provide.

New York Times, As Ukraine Readies for Second Year at War, Prospect of Stalemate Looms, Julian E. Barnes, Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt, Dec. 22, 2021 (print ed.). American officials believe that with Russia bolstering defenses and learning lessons, Ukraine will find it more challenging to retake land.

As the war in Ukraine soon enters its second year, Ukrainian troops will find it much more challenging to reclaim territory from Russian forces who are focused on defending their remaining land gains rather than making a deeper push into the country, American officials say.

Over the course of the first 10 months of the war, the Ukrainian military has — with significant American support — outmaneuvered an incompetent Russian military, fought it to a standstill and then retaken hundreds of square miles and the only regional capital that Russia had captured.

Despite relentless Russian attacks on civilian power supplies, Ukraine has still kept up the momentum on the front lines since September. But the tide of the war is likely to change in the coming months, as Russia improves its defenses and pushes more soldiers to the front lines, making it more difficult for Ukraine to retake the huge swaths of territory it lost this year, according to U.S. government assessments.

All of these factors make the most likely scenario going into the second year of the war a stalemate in which neither army can take much land despite intense fighting.

Dec. 21

Washington Post, Opinion: Zelensky’s role on the Washington stage is Ukrainian fighter, David Ignatius, right, Dec. 21, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s bold Wednesday visit to Washington is an epic piece of theater designed to motivate multiple audiences — in the United States, Europe, Russia and Ukraine itself. The message is simple: With its own bravery in battle and the world’s help, Ukraine will prevail.

By embracing President Biden and addressing a clamorous joint session of Congress, Zelensky will send a riposte to Moscow that’s more potent, in some ways, than the Russian drones and missiles pounding his country. Ukraine has allies; it has staying power; NATO isn’t cracking; even in a polarized America, support for Kyiv is bipartisan and sustained.

As you watch Zelensky on the podium before Congress, imagine the rage that Russian President Vladimir Putin must be feeling: His bets are losing. Ukraine, Europe and the United States haven’t splintered. The West isn’t as feeble as he imagined. It’s Russia that is isolated and slipping month by month toward becoming a failed state.

Washington Post, Editorial: Zelensky’s visit highlights that freedom is winning in Ukraine — for now, Editorial Board, Dec. 21, 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine made his career in comedy, but the Russian invasion of his country 10 months ago has brought out his talent for drama — of the most inspiring kind.

Standing before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, Mr. Zelensky thanked the United States for its military and financial support, presented a flag signed by troops defending the the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and characterized his country’s struggle as the front line in a global battle for freedom and democracy against tyrants seeking to rewrite the international order. Likening the war in Ukraine to the American Revolution, he declared that “the Russian tyranny has lost control over us.”

“Ukrainian courage and American resolve must guarantee the future of our common freedom,” he said.

His address culminated a whirlwind of events that included President Biden’s official confirmation that the United States will send a Patriot missile-defense system to Ukraine. The Patriots will help protect against Russian aerial bombardment — Moscow fired 76 missiles on Friday night alone, 16 of which penetrated Ukraine’s air defense. The onslaught has destroyed half of Ukraine’s electric power infrastructure, according to the United Nations. A fresh package of $44.9 billion in economic and military aid, included in Congress’s must-pass omnibus spending bill, will bring total U.S. support since the war began to $110 billion.

New York Times, Ukraine’s president is taking his plea to Congress amid a wave of Russian attacks, Andrew E. Kramer, Marc Santora and Andrés R. Martínez, Dec. 22, 2021 (print ed.). The Ukrainian leader was flying to Washington, a day after making a bold visit to the front line in the east. Ukrainian officials warned of more Russian attacks against the energy grid.

President Volodymyr Zelensky will land in Washington on Wednesday to meet with President Biden and deliver an evening address to a joint session of Congress, capping a remarkable two days that will take the Ukrainian leader from the most violent point on the eastern front line to a daring show of solidarity in the capital of his most powerful ally.

Mr. Zelensky’s first trip outside Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February comes at a pivotal point in the war, which is now being waged on two fronts: in the fields and forests of southern and eastern Ukraine, where the armies are squaring off, and in the skies over the country as Ukrainian forces try to shoot down Russian missiles and drones aimed at civilian infrastructure.

With Ukraine having pushed back Russian forces in the northeast and south, the armies are digging in along a new, 600-mile front line, and Ukraine’s ability to regain more ground could depend on more weapons from allies, including the United States. Mr. Zelensky’s trip comes a day after congressional lawmakers proposed another $44 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine, which would bring the total American wartime assistance to more than $100 billion.

Both Mr. Zelensky and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia have sought to project resolve as the war approaches the 10-month mark, steeling their people for a long fight ahead. On Wednesday, Mr. Putin used an annual meeting of senior military leaders to praise Russian soldiers as “heroes” and repeated his vow that Russia’s goals in Ukraine will be achieved.

Here is what you need to know:

• Mr. Zelensky was scheduled to arrive at the White House at around 2 p.m. Eastern time to meet with President Biden after a long trans-Atlantic flight. The two leaders are expected to hold a joint news conference beginning at 4:30 p.m.
• Mr. Biden will announce on Wednesday $1.8 billion in immediate aid for Ukraine that includes the most advanced American ground-based air defense system, including a Patriot missile battery. Deliveries of new U.S. weapons will lead “to an aggravation of the conflict” and do “not bode well for Ukraine,” Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, said on Wednesday.
• Mr. Zelensky’s address to Congress, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., follows a speech he made virtually to American lawmakers in March, weeks into the war, when he invoked the attack on Pearl Harbor and urged the United States to do more to help his country.
• On Tuesday, Mr. Zelensky made his boldest visit yet to the front line, meeting soldiers defending the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces have failed to seize despite months of unrelenting bombardment.
• Ukraine’s prime minister has said that Russia wants to plunge Ukraine into total darkness during the winter holiday season, and warned the government to “prepare for new attacks.”
• Schumer noted that Zelensky’s appearance before Congress comes as the Senate is poised to approve nearly $50 billion in additional military assistance to Ukraine. He also said the Senate would confirm President Biden’s pick for ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy.

Wayne Madsen Report, Investigative Commentary: Extremist Russian nationalism triggers nationalism among non-Russian ethnicities, Wayne Madsen, left, author of 22 books and a former Navy intelligence officer, Dec. 21-22, 2022. In what stands as a classic cause and effect relationship, Vladimir Putin’s championing of extreme Russian nationalism in concert with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in increasing nationalism among the non-Russian ethnic groups of the not-so-federal Russian Federation.

There is some evidence that an increase in nationalist fervor among some non-Russian groups has resulted in sabotage of key infrastructure elements such as pipelines, refineries, ammunition depots and other inviting targets in order to stymie Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Few people outside of Ukraine and the Far East of Russia have ever heard of Green Ukraine or as it is known in Ukrainian, Zeleny Klyn. Located over 4,000 miles from Ukraine, Green Ukraine is located in a vast area between the Amur River and the Pacific Ocean in Siberia. In the late 1800s, the Czarist government of Russia, in seeking to populate the region, offered free land to anyone from European Russia willing to settle in what is now the Primorskiy Territory bordering North Korea and the Chinese province of Heilongjiang. This remote area of northeast Asia is the last place on Earth anyone would think there would be Ukrainians.

A photo made available by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows President Volodymyr Zelensky in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Dec. 20, 2022.ore than $100 billion.

New York Times, Surrender to a Drone? Ukraine Is Urging Russian Soldiers to Do Just That, Marc Santora, Dec. 21, 2022 (print ed.). Capitalizing on reports of low Russian morale, Ukraine has begun offering enemy troops detailed instructions on how to lay down their arms.

Tens of thousands of drones have been employed across Ukraine to kill the enemy, spy on its formations and guide bombs to their targets. But this month the Ukrainian military began a program to use drones in a more unusual role: to guide Russian soldiers who want to surrender.

The program had its genesis in late November, when the Ukrainian military released footage of a Russian soldier throwing his weapon to the ground, raising his hands and nervously following a path set out by a drone overhead, leading him to soldiers from the Ukrainian army’s 54th Mechanized Brigade.

A few weeks later, the Ukrainian General Staff released an instructional video explaining how Russian soldiers can surrender to a Ukrainian drone, and it is now part of a wide-ranging effort by Ukraine to persuade Russian soldiers to give up. The program, called “I want to live,” includes a phone hotline, a website and a Telegram channel all dedicated to communicating to Russian soldiers and their families.