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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded with the U.S. for more help to fight against the Russian invasion in a live video speech before Congress Wednesday (March 16th), asking for more weapons and even stronger sanctions. Zelenskyy, who twice received a standing ovation from the U.S. lamwakers, referred to the Pearl Harbor and 9/11 attacks on the U.S. in his impassioned address, saying, "Our country experiences the same every day right now." He thanked America for all the support it's given, while urging more, saying directly to President Biden, "I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means being the leader of peace." During his remarks, Zelenskyy showed a video that contrasted scenes of Ukraine before the invasion with graphic scenes of the death and devastation the war has brought.
In Ukraine, Russia's bombardment continued, including in an around the capital city of Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said an airstrike hit a theater in the besieged city of Mariupol where hundreds of people had been sheltering, leaving many buried in the rubble. AP reported that at least as recently as Monday, the pavement in front of and behind the theater had the word "children" spelled out in huge white letters in Russian. Russia denied bombing the theater.
Putin Denounces 'Scum and Traitors': Putin gave a televised speech in which he denounced Russians who don't support him, saying that Russians, quote, "will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths." He stated, "I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country.” He also accused the West of using a "fifth column" of traitorous Russians to create civil unrest to destroy the country.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy showed this powerful video to Congress, depicting Ukraine before and during the invasion. The video ends with a familiar call for a no-fly zone: "Close the sky over Ukraine."
By the way, Servant of the People — the TV series starring President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine — is back on Netflix. After debuting in 2015, the sitcom streamed on Netflix in the U.S. for a time before leaving the service. Now that Zelenskyy has become a household name in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last month, there is renewed interest in the show.
… Part of the fascination with Servant of the People stems from the life-imitating-art aspect of the premise. Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine in early 2019 after previously working as an actor and comedian.
… The show, which he produced, spanned three seasons and a spinoff movie. It came to an end when Zelenskyy announced his bid for office. He ran under the political party Servant of the People, which took its name from the series.