SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Wearing an army green t-shirt with an embroidered cross over his heart, the embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an urgent plea for help during a rare address by a foreign head of state to the United States Congress.
Through a translator, Zelenskyy spoke of the eight year occupation of Ukrainian territory by Russia following the invasion of Crimea and the escalating crisis following Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago.
He asked members of both houses of Congress to reflect on World War II and the surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor that left thousands of American seamen dead and thrusted the United States into the war.
As Russian President Vladamir Puttin’s regime closes in on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Zelenskyy urged military support by way of equipment while also urging for a no-fly zone to prevent bombing of civilians.
Both the United States and its allies with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have resisted calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying that it could cause escalation.
Omar Dajani is professor of law at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law. The international law expert says the situation is delicate.
“That’s a line in the sand that says to the Russians, 'you are not allowed use aircraft for any purposes over sovereign territory such as Ukraine,'” Dajani said.
Enforcing such an order could lead to firing on either side, further escalating the conflict beyond the borders of Ukraine. Dajani says the U.S. is in a terrible situation.
“On the one hand without a doubt, the Ukrainian people are legitimately crying out for collective self defense and protection,” Dajani said. “On the other hand, this could lead to a conflagration. What this requires is incredibly careful steps by the Biden Administration.”
President Joe Biden announced he will meet with NATO allies in Brussels next week to discuss the issue.
Ukrainian American leaders in Northern California are calling for more humanitarian support. Chairman of the non-profit Ukrainian-American House, Vlad Skot, is urging President Biden to begin accepting refugees in Northern California.
He has been fielding calls from Ukrainian American’s willing to open up their homes to refugees fleeing the war.
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