Just days before Americans celebrated one of the most expensive Christmas seasons in recent memory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood before a joint session of Congress and explained why the billions of US taxpayer funds sent to his country was not charity, but an “investment.”
Prior to the omnibus bill being signed into law on December 23, 2022, the United States had already provided Ukraine with $68 billion, which included military equipment and “economic aid.” The omnibus bill’s passage by Congress, and signing by President Biden, sent another $45 billion to Ukraine, totaling $113 billion dollars.
Zelenskyy, after having recently been featured on the covers of Vogue and Time Magazine after winning the Person of the Year award, is well versed on how to stir emotions and evoke empathy for his cause. The Ukrainian actor-turned-President arrived in Washington D.C. wearing dark grey cargo pants and a green army-style shirt, rather than a suit and tie to address Congress.
During his speech in the House Chambers, Zelenskyy explained that the American people’s money is an “investment” in democracy, that the funds would be handled in “the most responsible way,” though Ukraine has often been criticized for being a nation of pervasive financial corruption. The Ukrainian President explained that the funds are not “charity,” which is of course true, because charity is donated freely. The American people never agreed to have the U.S. economy destroyed, borders weakened, and gasoline prices skyrocket in order to fund Ukraine’s war with Russia.
“Thank you for both financial packages you have already provided us with, and the ones you may be willing to decide on. Your money is not charity, it’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
A small number of Congressional members refused to give Zelenskyy a standing ovation like their left leaning counterparts, and were harshly condemned for their “lack of compassion” for the people of Ukraine. However, these members explained that without appropriate measures in place to trace how funds are being allocated, sending such a large amount to Ukraine would be a disservice to the American people.
“Why wouldn’t you clap for a man who banned a Christian denomination, a man who arrested priests, raided monasteries, seized churches, outlawed opposition media outlets, outlawed political parties that oppose him, threw his primary political opponent in jail? Why wouldn’t you applaud for a man like that?”
Tucker Carlson — Fox News
Anyone with a heart or a conscience feels empathy and pain for the innocent people that have caught in the crossfire, and have for months suffered under wartime conditions. Despite this, empathy does not justify waving another nation’s flag in the House Chambers, compassion does not rationalize the billions of taxpayer funds that are now untraceable.
