Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reminded the U.S. of its prior commitment to help his country protect its territory and asked Congress to give it the highest level of security status that a non-NATO ally could obtain.
In a lengthy, impassioned appeal to Congress Thursday morning, Poroshenko repeatedly urged the U.S. to show solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
“The United States made a commitment that it would stand behind Ukraine’s territorial integrity — and we hope that it will live up to that promise,” he said.
“Democracies must support each other … they must show solidarity in the face of aggression and adversity. Otherwise, they will be eliminated, one by one,” he added.
Poroshenko was referring to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, which the presidents of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, the U.S. and the U.K. signed in 1994.
In exchange for agreeing to give their nuclear warheads to Russia for elimination, the countries gave Kiev written assurances that they would respect the existing borders of Ukraine and would seek “immediate” U.N. Security Council action to assist Ukraine if it should fall victim to aggression.
Invoking the status and billions of dollars Israel receives from the U.S. to help it defend itself against attacks, he made a plea for arms and more military supplies.
“Just like Israel, Ukraine has a right to defend its territory,” he said. “And it will do so, with all the courage of her heart and dedication of her soul.”
Asking for a “special security and defense status” reflecting the highest level the U.S. could grant a non-NATO ally, he said Ukraine urgently needs military equipment and supplies, both lethal and non-lethal.
“Blankets and night-vision goggles are important,” he said, “but one cannot win a war with blankets.”
“I urge America to help us and to rise and be equal to its natural and manifest role — I urge America to lead the way,” he said.
The White House Thursday reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine as it struggles to fend off Russian incursions and stop more pro-Russian separatist uprisings.
So far, the U.S. has provided $291 million in assistance to Ukraine this year, as well as a $1 billion loan guarantee, and Thursday Obama announced a new $53 million package of assistance.
The U.S. will direct more than $7 million of the package to provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainians in the eastern part of the country and $46 million in non-lethal security assistance for army and border guards.
While Poroshenko repeatedly thanked the U.S. for his support and aid, he had strong words about Russia’s occupation of Crimea, arguing that ending the occupation and annulling the region’s annexation to Russia is an “integral precondition” to fully normalizing relations with Russia.
“There is no way, at no price, and under no condition that we will ever put up with Crimea’s occupation,” he said.
After the speech, Poroshenko was scheduled to have lunch with Vice President Joe Biden then meet with Obama and Biden at the White House.
