Patricia Zengerle and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters). -The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zilenskiy urged American legislators to take more measures to safeguard his country against Russian invasion in a speech before Congress. In it, he pleaded to President Joe Biden for the title of “leader in peace”.

Zelenskiy declared that Russia had made Ukraine’s sky an unreliable source of death for thousands. Before he showed the video, Zelenskiy told his virtual address. It contained images and videos of destruction and death in Ukraine. The end of the video was titled “Closed the Sky over Ukraine.”

Zelenskiy maintained his demand for a nofly zone to be imposed over Ukraine.

Biden was the last to hear his speech. He ended it with an English plea to Biden. The leader of the global community means that you are the leader for peace.

Biden, along with NATO members, and many U.S. legislators have opposed a no fly zone due to concerns about the possibility of an increase in conflict with Russia’s nuclear-armed Russia. Although the idea of transferring Russian-made MiG warplanes to Ukraine has received some support from Congress, it has been rejected by the White House.

Zelenskiy addressed Washington lawmakers the day following his plea for Western sanctions to Russia and for the imposition a no fly zone in Ukraine.

Before and after his remarks, he received standing ovations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced him by chanting “glory to Ukraine”, which translates into Ukrainian. Zelenskiy waved his arms in appreciation for the support after he finished his remarks.

Biden approved Tuesday’s $13.6 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine. It will be used to purchase more weapons, and to provide humanitarian assistance. A White House official stated that Biden would announce an additional $800million in security aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, in comments on U.S. assistance to the country.

To explain Ukraine’s dire situation, Zelenskiy cited previous attacks on America – by Japanese forces in Hawaii in 1941 and by al Qaeda terrorists in 2001. Mt. Rushmore, a South Dakota monument on a mountainside with the faces of four great presidents.

Zelenskiy earlier said, through an interpreter: “Right now the destiny of our nation is being decided.” He added that Europe was currently facing terror like it has not seen since World War Two.

Zelenskiy proposed the creation of a new international organisation to help with disasters and protect peace.

Russia describes its actions in Ukraine as a “special operations.”

Zelenskiy sought to increase support for Russia in recent weeks through speeches made to various audiences abroad, including to the European Parliament and to the British Parlament.

In rare instances, Republicans and Democrats are aligned in Congress. However, some members of both parties urge Biden to do more in Ukraine support. Congress has bipartisan support for sending combat planes to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, all the United States Senate members unanimously passed a resolution decrying Russian President Vladimir Putin for being a war crime.

United Nations estimate that 3 million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine. Most of these people are women and children and seek refuge in Poland and other neighboring countries.

Biden announced that he would ban Russian oil imports. He also called for the suspension of Russia’s trading status, which allows it to export products at lower prices in international markets. This week, the House will attempt to adopt legislation to respond to Biden’s request.

It’s rare that foreign leaders address Congress in wartime. The famous case of Winston Churchill speaking to Congress in 1941 was the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s speech, just weeks following Japan’s attack at Pearl Harbor. It marked the beginning of World War Two. Churchill cautioned that we would face many “unpleasing surprises” and disappointments.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Boris Yeltsin (Russian President) addressed Congress. Yeltsin spoke up, declaring that America and Russia have “left behind the time when they looked at one another through gunsights, ready to fire the trigger any moment.”

The sanctions imposed by the United States, its allies and Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and their moves to support Ukraine’s military ability have brought back memories from the long Cold War between the United States (and Soviet Union) that Yeltsin had previously referred to.