5 reactions to Zelensky's speech to Congress: 'Churchillian courage' or a 'whole lot of hypocrisy'?

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, December 22, 2022

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks after giving a Ukrainian national flag to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Vice President Kamala Harris during his address to the U.S. Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 2022.(Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the U.S. Congress Wednesday night as members debate the passage of another spending bill that includes billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.

Ten months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused many residents of the former Soviet country, Zelensky thanked Congress for the financial support provided to Ukraine thus far and proclaimed that "Ukraine is alive and kicking."

In his address, he argued that additional U.S. support is needed to win the war against Russia in the form of "more cannons and shells" and further "financial assistance." He assured lawmakers that "your money is not charity" but rather "an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way."

So far, U.S. taxpayers have spent more than $67 billion on the war effort in Ukraine following the appropriation of funds by Congress in three separate installments.

In March, Congress allocated $13.6 billion in emergency funding to Ukraine. A second bill passed in May provided $40 billion in aid to Ukraine. A third package, approved in September, provided $12.35 billion to fund training, equipment, weapons, logistics support.

Lawmakers are debating a $1.7 trillion spending bill that includes $45 billion to "support the Ukrainian people, [and] defend global democracy in the wake of Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine."

Many on both sides of the political aisle praised Zelensky's remarks as "Churchillian" and "inspiring." Others criticize U.S. political figures for spending so much on a foreign country as Americans grapple with inflation and other economic concerns. Critics also condemn the bipartisan embrace of a leader who proposes taking steps to ban Ukrainian Orthodox Churches affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate.

The following pages highlight five reactions to Zelensky's address.