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July 21, 2022

Ukraine's First Lady Appeals to U.S. Congress for More Weapons
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On Capitol Hill, Ukraine's first lady has appealed to the United States
Congress for more heavy weaponry. Olena Zelenska's address to lawmakers
Wednesday came as the war entered its sixth month.

Olena Zalenska: "I appeal to all of you, on behalf of those who were
killed, on behalf of those who lost their arms and legs, on behalf of
those who are still alive and well, and those who wait for their
families to come back from the frontlines. I'm asking for something now
that I would never want to ask for. I am asking for weapons, weapons
that would not be used to wage a war on somebody else's land, but to
protect one's home and the right to wake up alive in that home."

In May, President Biden signed a bill granting Ukraine $40 billion in
humanitarian and military assistance - by far the largest U.S. foreign
aid package in decades.

Zelenska's request for more weapons comes as the Senate is considering a
national defense bill that would see the U.S. spend a record-shattering
$846 billion on the military in the next fiscal year. That's $45 billion
more than the record request President Biden made earlier this year.


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