About this episode
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy will speak to Congress virtually. According to one person with knowledge of the address, he plans “to name and shame,” meaning excoriating the West for not doing enough to defend his country, though he will balance his remarks with some gratitude for what has been provided. WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia and Siobhan Hughes report that it was Zelenskyy who asked Congress to speak. Few world leaders have the kind of moral authority that Zelenskyy has to push Congress. A week ago Saturday, when he addressed members of Congress privately, his pleas for assistance produced a flurry of congressional requests to the Biden administration. The Ukrainian aid package zipping through Congress ballooned in the following days. Tougher sanctions, advanced air defense weapons, airplanes from Poland, and a no-fly-zone are all still on Zelenskyy’s wish list. His advocates in Washington — lobbyists and members of Congress — told Playbook they have tried to push his government to deemphasize the no-fly zone, which has been repeatedly ruled out by Biden, and focus on beefed up defense assistance that is more achievable, such as S-300 surface-to-air missiles. Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook. Jenny Ament is the Senior Producer of POLITICO Audio.