Will Zelenskyy's Speech Convince Republicans to Continue Support? (2023)

Introduction

President Zelenskyy reminded Congress that "your money is not charity, it is an investment." Will this convince Republicans to continue supporting Ukraine? Council President Ivo Daalder weighs in with Zain Asher on CNN International.

"It's hard to watch a speech like this and not be extraordinarily moved by both the bravery that President Zelenskyy himself represents. The fact is he was on the front line - literally on the front line, in Bakhmut, a city that had been pummeled by Russian artillery since at least May. And 24 hours later he's standing in front of Congress to tell them that this is not just a fight for Ukraine, it's a fight for the world. And therefore the assistance that is being provided is absolutely critical, not just as charity - I think the line was exactly right - but as an investment into their future.

We're facing, 10 months into this war, a declining willingness, particularly among Republicans, both in Congress and among the public to continue to spend what is necessary to help the Ukrainians. At the same time he's coming to Washington just when Congress is passing another 45 billion dollars' worth of military and economic aid and he secured that vote with that speech."

Zain Asher asks: is it likely that Republicans are going to push Zelenskyy to settle for some kind of peace?

"Because of the extraordinary amount of money that is in the omnibus bill, funding will continue at least through September of 2023, so that's at least nine more months of real funding, and it probably is longer than that. So in that sense, it postpones the next vote until that time. And a lot of things can happen.

"But secondly, it's clear that Zelenskyy cannot and will not sort of compromise because some people in Washington are saying that it's time for him to do so. His fight as he says is not just for the world, it's also for Ukraine. They were attacked, they have been attacked brutally and are continuing to be assaulted as your reporter just mentioned. And they're going to fight until the very, very, very bitter end. And if there's no more assistance then it will be without that assistance. But I think that he will also underscore, and that will be the next nine months, in making it clear that it is important to continue to support Ukraine with the capabilities necessary for defending itself."

With the onset of winter and Russia continuing to target Ukrainian infrastructure, what more does President Zelenskyy need from the United States that he's not currently getting?

"He is getting enough to defend himself against the onslaught and to push back the Russians very significantly. About half the territory that Russia took at the outset of the war has been liberated by Ukrainian forces. And that liberation would not have been possible without the kind of military assistance, training, and intelligence support the United States and other allies have been providing and it needs to continue. There are some capabilities, particularly tanks, longer range missile systems, that might provide Ukraine with an even greater capability for offensive operations against the Russians.

"And so I think what we're seeing is first, slowdown in the tempo of war just because it gets too cold and too muddy until the ground really freezes. And then secondly, a war that will move much more slowly in terms of the overall miles that are reconquered, but I also think steadily will push the Russians back over time. And at some point the question will be raised by the Russians, by the Ukrainians: is there an alternative to fighting in order to settle this war. And that is the dynamic that I think we'll see in the coming year."
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Video

E, OTHER, POINTS, OF, CON, FLICKED, WITH, RUSSIA, AS, WELL., WILL, RIPLEY, CNN, KYIV, UKRAINE., >>, JOINING, ME, LIVE, NOW.

In --.

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Former, TO, NATO, AND, THE, COAUTHOR.

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Americans.

Abdication.

On GLOBAL, LEADERSHIP., THANK, YOU, SO, MUCH, FOR, BEING, WITH, US., THE, LINE, THAT, TOUCHED, ME, THE, MOST, WAS, WATCHING, ZELENSKYY's, SPEECH, FOR, CONGRESS, LAST, NIGHT., WHEN, THEY, SAY, YOUR, MONEY, IS, NOT, CHARITY., YOUR, MONEY, IS, NOT, CHARITY, IT, IS, AN, INVESTMENT, IN, GLOBAL, DEMOCRACY., AND, GLOBAL, SECURITY., I'm, ESSENTIALLY, PARAPHRASING, THAT., BUT, THE, REPUBLICANS, THAT, LAND, WAS, CLEARLY, MEANT, FOR, THE, REPUBLICANS, WHO, HAVE, BEEN, SKEPTICAL., WHERE, THE, COMMENTS, BY, THE, SPEECH, LAST, NIGHT, DO, YOU, THINK?, >>, IT, IS, HARD, TO, WATCH, A, SPEECH, LIKE, THIS., AND, NOT, BE, EXTRAORDINARILY, MOVED, BY, BOTH, THE, BRAVERY, THAT, PRESIDENT, ZELENSKYY, HIMSELF, REPRESENTS, BECAUSE, THE, FACT, IS, HE, WAS, ON, THE, FRONT, LINE, LITTLE, ON, THE, FRONT, LINE, IN, BAKHMUT, A, CITY, PUMMELED, BY, RUSSIAN, ARTILLERY, SINCE, AT, LEAST, MAY., AND, 24, HOURS, LATER, STANDING, IN, FRONT, OF, THE, CONGRESS, TO, TELL, THEM, THAT, THIS, IS, NOT, JUST, A, FIGHT, FOR, UKRAINE, IT, IS, A, FIGHT, FOR, THE, WORLD., AND, THAT, THERE, FOR, THE, ASSISTANCE, IS, BEING, PROVIDED, IS, ACTUALLY, CRITICAL., NOT, JUST, AS, CHARITY, THE, LINE, WAS, EXACTLY, RIGHT., BUT, ASININE, VEST, MEANT, INTO, THEIR, FUTURE., WE, ARE, FACING, TEN, MONTHS, INTO, THIS, WAR., DECLINING, WILLINGNESS, PARTICULARLY, AMONG, REPUBLICANS IN, CONGRESS, AND, AMONG, THE, PUBLIC, TO, CONTINUE, TO, SPEND, WHAT, IS, NECESSARY, TO, HELP, THE, UKRAINIANS, AND, AT, THE, SAME, TIME, HE, IS, COMING, TO, WASHINGTON, JUST, WHEN, CONGRESS, IS, PASSING, ANOTHER, 45, BILLION, DOLLARS, WORTH, OF, MILITARY, ECONOMIC, AID., HE, SECURE, THAT, BUT, WITH, THAT, SPEECH., >>, IN, TERMS, OF, CONVINCING, THE, REPUBLICANS, I, AM, ONLY, HARPING, ON, ABOUT, THAT, BECAUSE, I, THINK, THAT, WAS, REALLY, HIS, PRIORITY., LAST, NIGHT., GIVEN, THAT, THE, REPUBLICANS, TOOK, OVER, THE, HOUSE., IS, IT, LIKELY, THAT, THE, REPUBLICANS, ARE, GOING, TO, PUSH, ZELENSKYY, TO, SETTLE, FOR, SOME, KIND, OF, PEACE?, KEITH, HE, SAID, HIMSELF, THAT, HE's, NOT, GOING, TO, SACRIFICE, THIS, TERRITORY, FOR, THE, SAKE, OF, PEACE, WITH, RUSSIA., WHAT, THE, REPUBLICAN, CONTROLLED, HOUSE, WHAT, HAPPENS, NEXT?, >>, FIRST, OF, ALL, BECAUSE, OF, THIS, EXTRAORDINARY, AMOUNT, OF, MONEY, THAT, WAS, IN, THE, OMNIBUS, BILL, IT, WILL, CONTINUE, AT, LEAST, THROUGH, SEPTEMBER, 2023., THAT, IS, A, NINE, MORE, MONTHS, OF, FUNDING., AND, IT, PROBABLY, IS, LONGER, THAN, THAT., SO, IN, THAT, SENSE, IT, POSTPONES, THE, NEXT, ABOUT, UNTIL, THAT, TIME., ALL, THE, THINGS, CAN, HAPPEN., IT, IS, CLEAR, THAT, ZELENSKYY, CANNOT, AND, WILL, NOT, COMPROMISE., BECAUSE, SOME, PEOPLE, IN, WASHING, TEN, ARE SAYING, IT, IS, TIME, FOR, THEM, TO, DO, SO., HIS, FIGHT, AS, HE, SAYS, IS, NOT, JUST, TOWARDS, THE, WORLD, BUT, IS, ALSO, TOWARDS, UKRAINE., THEY, WERE, ATTACKED, THEY, HAVE, BEEN, ATTACKED., BRUTALLY., AND, THEY're, CONTINUING, TO, BE, INSULTED, AS, THE, REPORT, JUST, MENTIONED., AND, THEY, WILL, FIGHT, UNTIL, THE, VERY, BETTER, AND., THERE, IS, NO, MORE, ASSISTANCE, THEN, IT, WILL, BE, WITHOUT, THAT, ASSISTANCE., BUT, I, THINK, HE, WILL, ALSO, UNDERSCORE, AND, THEY'll, BE, THE, NEXT, NINE, MONTHS, IN, MAKING, THAT, CLEAR, THAT, HE, IS, IMPORTANT, TO, CONTINUE, THE, SUPPORT, OF, UKRAINE, WITH, THE, CAPABILITIES, NECESSARY, TO, DEFEND, ITSELF., AND, WE, DO, HAVE, BOTH, THE, REPUBLICANS, AND, DEMOCRATS, AND, OVERWHELMING, MAJORITY, IN, THE, SENATE, IN, FAVOR, OF, THAT., WE, HAVE, DEMOCRATS, IS, AN, OVERWHELMING, MAJORITY, OF, REPUBLICANS, IN, THE, HOUSE, WHO, ARE, IN, FAVOR, OF, THAT., AND, THE, PRESIDENT, OF, THE, UNITED, STATES, THAT, IS, A, LOT, OF, PEOPLE, WHO, THINK, THIS, IS, AN, IMPORTANT, THING, TO, DO., AND, WE, WILL, SEE, DOWN, THE, LINE, IF, A, REPUBLICAN, LEADERSHIP, IN, THE, HOUSE, IS, WILLING, TO, BLOCK, THE, VERY, NECESSARY, AID, THAT, UKRAINE, OUT., NEEDS, AT, LEAST, FOR, NOW., IT, LOOKS, LIKE, UKRAINE, WILL, HAVE, THE, A, DATE, NEEDS UNTIL, AT, LEAST, DECEMBER, OF, 2023., >>, THERE, WAS, A, SMALL, NUMBER, OF, REPUBLICANS, AND, PASS, REPUBLICANS, WHO, DID, NOT, CLAP, DURING, THAT, SPEECH., TELLING, YOUR, PRODUCER, IN, THE, ROOM., THE, WARS, ENTERING, A, NEW, PHASE., POTENTIAL, STALEMATE, BREWING, NOT, TO, MENTION, THE, FREEZING, COLD, TEMPERATURES, THAT, WILL, NARROW, UKRAINIANS, TO, DEAL, WITH., GIVEN, RUSSIA's, RELENTLESS, BOMBARDMENT, OF, ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE., THEY, HAVE, ALREADY, BEEN, GIVEN, TENS, OF, BILLIONS, OF, DOLLARS, BY, THE, U.S., INCLUDING, THE, COVETED, PATRIOT, AIR, DEFENSE, SYSTEM., WHAT, MORE, DOES, ZELENSKYY, NEED, FROM, THE, UNITED, STATES, THAT, HE, IS, NOT, CURRENTLY, GETTING?, >>, HE, IS, GETTING, ENOUGH, TO, DEFEND, HIMSELF, AGAINST, THE, ONSLAUGHT, AND, TO, PUSH, BACK, THE, RUSSIANS, VERY, SIGNIFICANTLY., ABOUT, HALF, THE, TERRITORY, THAT, RUSSIA, TOOK, HAS, NOT, BEEN, LIBERATED, BY, UKRAINIAN, FORCES., AND, THAT, FORCE, WENT, IMPOSSIBLE, WITHOUT, THE, KIND, OF, MILITARY, ASSISTANCE, TRAINING, AND, INTELLIGENCE, SUPPORT, THAT, THE, UNITED, STATES, AND, OTHER, ALLIES, HAVE, BEEN, PROVIDING, AND, WHAT, NEEDS, TO, CONTINUE., THERE, ARE, SOME, CAPABILITIES, PARTICULAR, LATE, TANKS, AND, LONG-RANGE, MISSILE, SYSTEMS, THAT, MIGHT, PROVIDE, UKRAINE, WITH, AN, EVEN, GREATER, CAPABILITY, FOR, OFFENSIVE, OPERATIONS, AGAINST, THE, RUSSIANS., BUT, THE, RUSSIANS, ARE, DIGGING, IN, AND, THEY, ARE, CLEARLY, SETTLING, IN, FOR, THE, LONG TERM., TO, DEFEND, THE, TERRITORY, THAT, THEY, ALREADY, HAVE., IT, IS, GOING, TO, BE, DIFFICULT, TO, BREAKTHROUGH, THOSE, LINES., PROBABLY, MORE, DIFFICULT, IN, THE, BREAKTHROUGH, IN, APRIL, AND, KHARKIV, UP, IN, THE, NORTHEAST., IN, SEPTEMBER, LAST, MONTH, IN, KHERSON., TO, BREAK, THROUGH, THOSE, LINES., I, THINK, WHAT, WE, ARE, SAYING, IS, FIRST, A, SLOWDOWN, IN, THE, TEMPLE, OF, OR, JUST, BECAUSE, IT, GETS, TOO, COLD., AND, TO, MONEY, UNTIL, THE, GRASS, CAN, REALLY, FREEZE., THEN, SECONDLY, A, WAR, THAT, WILL, MOVE, MUCH, MORE, SLOWLY, IN, TERMS, OF, THE, OVERALL, MILES, THAT, IS, IN, CONCORD., I, ALSO, THINK, THAT, WILL, PUSH, THE, RUSSIANS, BACK, OVERTIME., AND, AT, SOME, POINT, THE, QUESTION, WILL, BE, RAISED, BY, THE, RUSSIANS, BY, THE, UKRAINIANS., IS, THERE, AN, ALTERNATIVE, TO, FIGHTING, IN, ORDER, TO, SETTLE, THIS, WAR?, >>, THAT, IS, THE, DYNAMIC, I, THINK, WE, WILL, SEE, IN, THE, COMING, YEARS., >>, LISTEN, HE, CERTAINLY, GAVE, A, VERY, CONVINCING, ARGUMENT, TO, THE, AMERICANS., AS, TO, WHY, THEY, NEED, TO, SUPPORT, HIM, FO.