. ♪ ♪ >> who is volodymyr zelenskyy. you might say more of the stuff of a screen play than a history book. that is not so far off. first time most of the world heard about volodymyr zelenskyy, he was the president of a country under siege, they were told ukraine had no chance against putin's army, 4 weeks leader, zelenskyy and his country men are still hanging on despite a brutal assault, that targeted civilians that including hospitals. and in crosshairs, ukraine president. volodymyr zelenskyy was born in 1978. in an industrial city that was then under rule of the soviet union. >> not a notable or developed city. a regular soviet city of the late 70s early 80s, his childhood of the probably not very remarkable because of the city he grew up in. >> where zelenskyy grew up was mindless and repressive. this was built along. >> there was a lot of soviet union's most important industry was low called in ukraine. in-- located in ukraine, a lot of their important defense industry and coal mines and steel mills, ukraine was cen

volodymyr zelenskyy was born in 1978. in an industrial city that was then under rule of the soviet union. >> not a notable or developed city. a regular soviet city of the late 70s early 80s, his childhood of the probably not very remarkable because of the city he grew up in. >> where zelenskyy grew up was mindless and repressive. this was built along. >> there was a lot of soviet union's most important industry was low called in ukraine. in-- located in ukraine, a lot of their important defense industry and coal mines and steel mills, ukraine was centralized and repressive. even by comparison with other parts of the soviet union. >> speaking with some of his friends, he was known as an extra vert very smart. >> zelenskyy's parents were jewish. >> zelenskyy originally is russian speaking jew, his grandfather was a veteran of world war ii. many of his relatives were killed. >> now, his family is not particularly religious. the way in which he identifies as a jewish person is more of a cultural way. but certainly it was part

that president zelenskyy had with the congress. he, not surprisingly, is a very good communicator and he was very articulate in communicating what he was asking of us as a congress, as americans, frankly. >> of course, his number one ask continues to be a no-fly zone. that is something you have not supported. did his call today change your mind at all? >> so i still am firmly in the camp that a no-fly zone provided by nato forces and americans is not something that we should consider right now, but i have been in support of making sure that we're providing the president and his administration, president zelenskyy, all the things that he has been asking for short of that and short of boots on the ground, inclusive of air power, inclusive of drones, inclusive of s-300s. i think we should, as he asked, do more. >> you're also calling on the u.s. air force to send a specific kind of plane to ukraine, an a-10. why that plane? >> sure. it's a little bit broader than that. i think what we're seeing is the predictions that this would be a

that's come from zelenskyy's office and a deputy mayor. all of them claiming that russian forces have taken over a hospital. primary care hospital in mariupol. and that they are not allowing people in the hospital to leave, that the russian forces have been firing from within the hospital out into the streets and that they have also heard it in other people from the neighborhood. so, a total of 4 to 500 from the hospital and the accusations are that the russians are using them as human shields. difficult to confirm independently because mariupol is so cut off. here there is a great deal of concern of speculation, of curiosity as people are trying to figure out what comes next. the russians have been on the doorsteps of the city for days now. they don't seem to be making any significant advances. ukrainian troops have launched overnight a counteroffensive. unclear if that's going to do much. the russians are continuing to lob the odd missile into the center of kyiv. but here many are watching these peace talks and they're trying to figure o

what message can we expect to hear from zelenskyy today? >> a call for help and expect a receptive audience, something that will lead to more pressure on congress to act, lead to more pressure on the biden administration to act, expect a call for more armed drones, for mobile air defense systems and act for congress to move forward. just 14 -- just yesterday, the president signed into law roughly $14 billion in aid that will go to ukraine. there is also other legislative efforts under way, revoking russia's trade status with the united states, imposing a ban on oil and imports from russia. but president zelenskyy's expected to call for much more action, even going as far as imposing a no-fly zone, something that it does not have much support on capitol hill, even from republicans, but he is going to hear from republicans who are supportive and democrats too who do support the idea of transferring aircraft. soviet era aircraft over to ukraine, something the administration has resisted. and after the speech was roughly expected to be 10 to 15

my take is that russia will have to deal with latimer zelenskyy if russia wants to -- with vladimir zelenskyy if russia wants to end this conflict. mohammed: from your point of view, has vladimir putin accepted he's going to have to deal with zelenskyy, or does he want to replace zelenskyy? zachary: it increasingly looks like it is the case that he is prepared to tolerate zelenskyy remaining in power, but i think this has less to do with the dynamic between putin and zelenskyy themselves. putin needs to be able to have some sort of victory he can sell at home to preserve his political life. i think this has more to do with putin. it is to do with russia itself. russia has viewed its identity as being a great power. if you cannot set the terms vis-a-vis ukraine, you are not able to set the terms vis-a-vis nato, the united states, or the collective west. this is almost one could say an existential question for russia because it has to do with what does it mean to be russian? since the russian imperial polity began conducting itself, it has sought respect from the west as an equal. these are ver

zelenskyy cocktail lego. the company raised money for ukrainian relief effort selling smaller versions of molotov cocktails and zelenskyy. the lego sold for 10 apiece. all for a good pause. lego molotov cocktail. >> jesse: going to get my daughter one of those. that's it for us. up next "special report" next with bret. >> bret: i like the honor babies better. good evening, welcome to washington. i'm bret baier. breaking tonight president biden men's no words labeling russian leader vladimir putin a war criminal. the kremlin calls that unacceptable and unforgivable. this follows an emotional address from ukraine's president to members of congress. he pleads for the u.s. to step up its military aid to the besieged country. being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. >> the american people are answering president zelenskyy's call for more help. more weapons to ukraine and more tools to fight russian aggression. that's what we are doing. >> bret: also tonight ukraine and russia talk again in an

what do you expect will come out of this speech by zelenskyy today? >> well, we're looking forward to hearing from him. of course there is wide bipartisan support for zelenskyy. they are tearing him along. i think the objective is we need to do everything we can to help and protect the lives and the sovereignty and the freedom of his people without committing the u.s. to a war with russia. at the delicate balance, of course, and we will be very interested to hear what he says about that. >> carley: congressman, this week the biden administration came out and said they are not going to stand by and let china help russia financially or militarily. the only problem with that statement is they are already helping russia financially, increasing the amount of wheat they are buying from russia, oil, wind visa and mastercard pull out of the country they are now going to be using a chinese payment system. so the question is, should the administration already be sanctioning china? >> oh, absolutely. our complaint with the biden white house as they have acted so

president zelenskyy now says at least 103 children have been killed in the war so far. this as ukrainians are doing whatever it takes to help their country survive. cnn ivan watson shows us how one community is joining the fight. ♪ >> reporter: a melody in a time of deep uncertainty. a family hard at work, turning their living room into a make-shift workshop, producing locally-made armor for the ukrainian military. >> so this is heavy. this is a flap jacket. >> reporter: fleece flap jackets are a form of this seamstress, russia's invasion of ukraine pulled her out of retirement to work as a volunteer sewing flap jackets for ukrainian soldiers. >> she says she's sews these with love. it's without love she hopes it will protect defenders. >> reporter: in the kitchen, her son, a lawyer crafts the blue and yellow arm bands that security forces wear on their arms to identify themselves. >> how many do you make in one day? >> 200. >> yeah. >> reporter: this family workshop, a part of a larger improvised production claim that sprouted up in vinitazi a, they take orders reque

zelenskyy thanks the u.s. for its support and urges the west to set up a no fly zone over his war torn country. he dedicated his final words to president biden, stopping the use of a translater and making his case in english. >> to president biden, you are the leader

aides say he found zelenskyy pattern at and powerful, which was not surprised by his request, which zelenskyy has also shared privacy. today, president biden ordered expedited delivery for hundreds of millions of dollars more in weaponry and equipmentfor what he assessed to be a long and difficult battle ahead portable missiles that can fire at short range thousands of rounds of ammunition, and tactical unmanned aerial systems that congressional aides are say lethal drones known as switchblades the administration maintains all of these are to defend, not provoke. >> javelins and stingers are defensive weapons. migs are planes, are offensive weapons, which are a different type of military system. i would say the other assessment we've done, not through the white house, not through the president, from the department of defense is to assess what is effective and what works in terms of fighting this war on the ground >> reporter: as russian violence widens, the white house is sending evidence of war crimes in real time to the u.n. human rights council and the osce expert mission overseeing ukrain

it was zelenskyy, not biden. zelenskyy is the one who united the world. he's the one who right from the beginning was very clear what leadership should look like. we should have been arming the ukrainians for the last year. we weren't. we should have been doing much more on domestic production of oil. instead we're going backwards and gave putin the card to hold us hostage and with nord stream 2 we gave him the card to hold europe hostage. i mean, this has been one bad strategic -- >> you don't believe there's anything we could have done short of giving -- imposing a no-fly zone that would have prevented putin from going on? >> i believe if we aggressively armed ukraine from the time joe biden got in office, if he continued the trump policy and continued to arm ukraine -- >> continued the trump policy? >> no, no, listen -- >> trump is the one that brow beated zelenskyy and held back the javelins that -- >> jon, the ukrainians were armed. in january of 2021 he stopped that policy. just in north dakota alone, 500,000 billions a day reduced because biden pre

our interview after zelenskyy invoked pearl harbor and 9/11. as he urged u.s. lawmakers and president biden to do more to end the assault. >>> president biden today condemning president putin as a war criminal as he announced hundreds of millions in new military aid to ukraine. but a no-fly zone remains a nonstarter we asked president zelenskyy where should the u.s. draw a red line >>> and the capita enduring a constant russian onslaught. i asked zelenskyy if kyiv falls is all lost >>> also tonight, th crash in texas killing nine people, including members of a college golf team. >>> the fed raising interest rates for the first time in more than three years what it means for your money. >>> and our exclusive. angelina jolie on stopping violence against women and her criticism of family courts amid a custody battle of her own. >> announcer: this is “nbc nightly news" with lester holt >>> good evening, everyone hours after ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy made a virtual appearance before congress, pleading for more american help for his embattled country,

zelenskyy's speech. meanwhile, we're learning russian strikes have hit a residential building not far from kyiv's city center. ukrainian officials say at least two people were injured. no word yet on whether anyone was killed. on tuesday russian attacks hit four residential places around here. the city is under a strict curfew until thursday morning. we're also getting a new look at the damage left behind in some other cities. this is drone footage from a town in northeastern ukraine where shelling and bombs have ripped open massive craters on the ground and reduced homes to rubble. the russian journalist who was arrested after this dramatic anti-war protest during a night tv broadcast is speaking out about what she endured in police custody. >> translator: those were indeed very difficult days of my life. i literally spent two days with no sleep. the questioning lasted over 14 hours. i wasn't allowed to contact relatives or friends. i wasn't provided any legal assistance. i am in quite a difficult posit

zelenskyy has made clear he's willing to give up nato membership. moscow is asking essentially to control ukraine's foreign policy, and i don't think ukraine is willing to accept that. we need to wait and see, and in the meantime, we need to provide all the military equipment that zelenskyy is asking for. >> how much of a difference would that make, colonel, in your mind? >> the military equipment is vital because militaries that are in tense combat like ukrainians go through supplies and weapons at a very high rate. continuing to supply what we have been doing allows the ukrainians to keep the fight going, and puts time on their side. the russians are not getting resupplied. they're going through their stocks. that's why they have approached the chinese to get additional stocks. if we keep the supplies coming, ukrainians will have time on their side. >> a lot of people would agree that the most powerful part of zelenskyy's speech was that video, and it ended with the words, close the sky over ukraine. he refuses to be put off from that request, no

>> first of all, let me say about zelenskyy. you can't help but be impressed by his courage, but as a practitioner, i'm just gobsmacked by his oratorical skills and his sense of the moment, and he met it again today. it was such a brilliantly constructed presentation. multimedia presentation. look, i think that president zelenskyy has a responsibility to his people, and he is fulfilling it with great, you know, zeal and effectiveness. but president biden has a larger responsibility as the leader of the free world, which is to do everything he can without plunging the world into a world war that might involve nuclear weapons. and i think that's the balance that he has to strike. and it's not an easy one. obviously appeals like this put pressure on him. the white house anticipated that, because in a few minutes we're going to hear from the president up in the ante and adding another $800 million in security assistance. so they knew that this was going to be a direct and pointed appeal, and they want to respond to it. but, again, i

president zelenskyy's phone call with president biden. and what zelenskyy says he needs right now. the interview comes amid the horrific images of civilians being shelled northwest of kyiv. they were trying to escape an attack, to race to safety. at least eight people killed. russia ramping up attacks on civilians. we ask president zelenskyy what he would say to vladimir putin right now, as president zelenskyy pleads for that no-fly zone over ukraine with help from the u.s. and nato allies. he's also asking for help with soviet-era fighter jets in poland. and why he believes the u.s. can help on this front. families by the thousands trying to flee under heavy fire. the chilling picture of men, women, and children taking cover under a bridge. the pentagon believes nearly all russian troops staged along ukraine's borders are now inside ukraine. tonight, president zelenskyy, we ask, how long can they hold back the russians? and his message in english tonight for the american people. ian pannell in kyiv and my interview with president zelenskyy. >>> and tonight, amid these new pleas fo

zelenskyy, president za zelenskyy. he needs some help. i think you'll hear today, what from i've been told, he'll say thank you for all your solidarity, but your solidarity and your unity is on the sidelines. he's right about that. we're all watching, and we all look at him heroically, but we're all watching him from the sidelines as he battles, his military battles this tremendously powerful russian army. it's not doing well. we've said that many times. the ukrainians are fighting heroically, but putin still has most of his forces available and he's still moving forward. he is creeping towards where president zelenskyy is sitting in his bunker today. so he is going to ask for more weapons to help him stop putin's army. >> and, of course, congress has approved $13.6 billion. people i speak with, i'm sure you've spoken with, many people telling you this, as well, there are armed shipment going in there that we don't know about, that nato, that the west does not want putin and russia to know about. what more can we do? >> well, it's good we

zelenskyy. yesterday alone 6,000. including 2,000 children. jonathan, it is really important to say, these are not on the humanitarian corridors and humanitarian convoys that they have been agreed upon to set up, these are people fleeing in private vehicles fleeing that city for their lives. >> give us an update on the situation of the russian ground advance, it seems to have been stalled but the bombardment continues and we know when the day started today with fresh strikes on the capital of kyiv once again. >> that's exactly right. so the ukrainian military has said that their assessment is that russian ground troops have stalled in most of the major cities that we have seen them. that kind of lines up with what western european intelligence assessments are saying as well and because of that, we are seeing the indiscriminate firing into the center of civilian areas. into mariupol, which we have seen for the last several weeks, and in the capital of kyiv. apartment blocks, metro stations, metro

it comes just hours after president zelenskyy addresses the u.s. zelenskyy pleading with the u.s. to do more. again, calling for that no-fly zone over ukraine. and then, the video zelenskyy showed u.s. lawmakers that left some in tears. and the new images tonight, reports russia has attacked that theater that was being used as a shelter in mariupol. reports hundreds of people had been sheltered there, including children. that message the ukrainians wrote in russian on the building, the word "children" ignored. also tonight, president zelenskyy says hundreds of patients and staff are being held hostage inside a hospital in that besieged city. they say the russians are using them as human shields. tonight, president biden, just a short time after zelenskyy spoke, and what he's now sending to ukraine. and biden tonight now saying vladimir putin is a war criminal. the white house is pressed, what led to those words? ian pannell in kyiv, mary bruce live at the white house. >>> this new promise from president biden tonight, $800 million in new military help for ukraine. so, what's being

zelenskyy didn't get everything he wanted. but a lot of those armaments will help the people here and going to help very ordinary people going to the front line if this becomes a war of attrition. you saw the couple i just spoke to there today. i said what will happen if the bombing comes here? the mother said i will have to have to get out of here. the husband has no choice but to stay here because anyone between 18 and 60 said will have to fight. he feels a responsibility to do it, to look after his home, his children and the future generations in this country. incredible resilience from these people. who they may not once upon a time but he is now. >> yeah. they were so, so confident in his stewardship over the last 20 days. one of the more impactful things that president zelenskyy was play this video that tells the story that 22 days ago ukrainians were living their lives the way people are in my american city or european city. there was no war in ukraine before putin invaded and strikes me that this is so new. this is a c

zelenskyy. >> stop the bombing. [explosions] >> fighting has been intense. ukrainian forces destroying russian tanks. [explosion] >> now president biden is saying he will make his way to europe next week. >> it's no longer a perception that joe biden be seen as weak. it's the fact that joe biden has proven that he is weak. [siren] >> real trouble. the russians have stepped up indesvictim mat bombardment. >> ukraine's very existence right now is in peril. it seems that vladimir putin is deterring us from doing the right thing. >> steve: good morning, it's wednesday, march 16th, 2022, and three hours from right now ukrainian president zelenskyy is set to deliver a virtual address to our u.s. congress as he presses the united states for more assistance in his fight against putin. >> brian: yup, ukrainian cities under 35 hour curfew as russia continues intense bombardments with dumb bombs. >> rachel: jonathan hunt in kyiv with the latest. >> rachel, steve, brian, good morning to all of you. in the l

but zelenskyy also asked for air defense systems. mobile air defense systems that might be useful and could potentially be a piece of equipment the u.s. government could provide. he also talked about sanctions, sanctioning every russian lawmaker involved in the duma, the russian parliament and continuing to roll out new sanctions every week until this conflict is over. those are steps that could theoretically be taken, and the white house may feel additional pressure from members of congress after this speech. i am told by our colleagues in the room that you could hear a pin drop during that video, that several lawmakers were wiping away tears. lawmakers have been supportive of zelenskyy and of the ukrainian people for the duration of this. i expect that feeling will be only hardened coming out of this speech today, lester. >> it is rare these days that we see congress together on one issue and standing shoulder so shoulder. but there are division, are there not, in congress about how far the u.s. should and will go in terms of suppo

shortly after his speech, in an nbc news exclusive, i interviewed president zelenskyy. what he told me about world war iii, red lines, and peace talks coming up in a few moments. >>> but first kristin welker starts us off from the white house. >> reporter: with russian forces still raining down bombs around him, ukraine's president zelenskyy today appearing by video link with an emotional appeal to congress and president biden. >> i see no sense in life if it cannot stop the deaths >> reporter: zelenskyy comparing the russia invasion to some of the most painful moments in american history, pearl harbor, 9/11. >> translator: innocent people were attacked, attacked from air our country experience the same every day. >> reporter: even invoking martin luther king's "i have a dream" speech. zelenskyy saying ukraine has a need for a no-fly zone, which president biden has already rejected, saying it could cause world war iii. >> translator: i need to protect our sky i need your decision, your help, which means exactly the same, the same you feel when you hear the words, "i hav

who is inspiring, it's clearly president zelenskyy and it's not president putin. >> zelenskyy directly challenged, you might say, president biden by saying biden and, frankly, the country by saying if you're the leader of the free world, you have to answer to this threat right now, this russian threat to ukraine. i want to play a section of president biden's response and get your sense of his message today. have a listen. >> this could be a long and difficult battle, but the american people will be steadfast in our support of the people of ukraine in the face of putin's immoral, unethical attacks on civilian populapopulation s. we are united in our abhorrence of putin's depraifd onslaught, and we're going to continue to have their backs as they fight for freedom, their democracy, and their very survival, and we're going o'give ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead. >> biden like zelenskyy has often described this moment as an inflection point between democratic and autocratic governments. in his speech today, in the military support, in th

>> i think he would like to catch zelenskyy because toppling zelenskyy government has been his stated goal from day one and we've seen the number of attempt s on zelenskyy's life. i think there's no question that that was definitely something putin wanted to do. stuart: what do you expect to see in the coming battle for kyiv? >> and remember, no one knows what goes on in putin's mind. i mean he be smart to stop now but here is what the military situation says to me. russian forces are now forming on either side of kyiv. they are well-within their artillery range which is about 12-25 miles, so we'll see the regular russians and that is using a lot of long range fire power, that's going to be missiles coming in from russia and belarus, also air launched missiles and then artillery, and they will slowly start to see small armored units move through the kyiv suburbs on both the east and the west side, probing and trying to take more ground as they come in through the suburbs. we see ukraine fighting back against that, and if the battle continues, that's what the battle will look like, sma

>> for lego lovers out there zelenskyy cocktail lego. the company raised money for ukrainian relief effort selling smaller versions of molotov cocktails and zelenskyy. the lego sold for 10 apiece. all for a good pause. lego molotov cocktail. >> jesse: going to get my daughter one of those. that's it for us. up next "special report" next with bret. >> bret: i like the honor babies better. good evening, welcome to washington. i'm bret baier. breaking tonight president biden men's no words labeling russian leader vladimir putin a war criminal. the kremlin calls that unacceptable and unforgivable. this follows an emotional address from ukraine's president to members of congress. he pleads for the u.s. to step up its military aid to the besieged country. being the

. >> president zelenskyy gets tonight's last word. you can see more of lester holt's interview with president zelenskyy tomorrow on the today show. the 11th hour with stephanie ruhle starts now. arts now >> tonight, the unrelenting russian assault, targeting even more civilians in ukraine. and a theater sheltering up to 1000 people, women and children, struck in a city described as hell on earth. plus, president zelenskyy's emotional plea to congress today, resonating around the world. -- america's darkest days to drive home his message. and president biden calls putin a war criminal. the kremlin says that that is unforgivable. but will it change anything? as "the 11th hour" gets underway on a wednesday night. >> good evening once again, i'm stephanie ruhle, we are entering day 22 of the russian invasion. as one ukrainian official describes the city of mariupol, hell on earth. civilians in mariupol, kyiv and other cities are being terrorized by russia's relentless assaults. we are in the final hours before a curfew in kyiv expires on

speaking of zelenskyy. isn't there something to be said, zelenskyy appearing with a massive global audience? think of the message it would send? >> absolutely. one. things zelenskyy is has bun incredibly from the start use social media and other ways to get his message out. it's a forbidden message in russia. for us not to make the oscars a platform for him to get that message out i think is a terrible decision, and direction to go. even though historically it my not be a place used it's a platform, incredible he reach millions of americans and by doing that break through a number of different communications that have been stopped in russia and other places like that where people are having truck getting word what's chi actually going on. lard to keep oscars out of russia entirely. the whole world is watching, and oscars struggling how to hand many the world outside of entertainment is not new. 2003, michael moore infamously booed during his oscar acceptance speech, speaking out about the iraq war and then

>> is zelenskyy wasting his time tomorrow asking for these things? >> press sect. psaki: because of the passion and courage of president zelenskyy, there has been support for expediting delivery of historic amount of military and security assistance and weapons that have helped him and his military fight back against the russians. >> additional funding for ukraine includes anti-armor and anti-air weapons, grenade launchers, small arms weapons and the u.s. is considering sending sophisticated killer drones called switchblades. some in congress are criticizing the administration for not acting fast enough. >> the administration keep dragging their heels, when they do the right thing, they do it too late. >> biden will travel to brussels next wee -- allies. here on capitol hill yesterday, the senate voted on resolution condemning violence in ukraine calling for war crime investigation of vladamir putin. >> todd: more than 700 ukrainians have been killed and a thousand more injured during this war. >> carley: a nurse whose family fled the former soviet union to the u.s

i know president zelenskyy has asked for a no-fly zone. we are hoping that at least there would be what we would call a humanitarian no-fly zone so we could deliver these things because we're all getting reports already that civilians are being hit as they try to evacuate or trying to go after some needed medical -- medicines for their children. so this is very, very critical to be able to secure the distribution on the ground. there's little hope that it's going to happen without some kind of real serious effort with at least like you say a humanitarian no-fly zone. >> yeah. i think that's something people can understand. you're saying. they're still continuing the shelling there. i know you've mad an appeal. somebody with cargo planes, they can help. if you're somebody watching this, i waj you to know the outreach has been outand thing. what would you say to people watching themselves who want to also be able to help. >> well forecast you go to our website, usukraine.org, not only do we list the work we're doing but also a lifts of vette

they got an interview with zelenskyy. i know obviously not a surprise he would ban it but i wonder to you does it signal anything that he has any concern anything zelenskyy is saying or doing is getting through to the russian public? >> well, he certainly cares, which is why we've seen him increase repression so mightily after the beginning of this war and we should step back for a second and e arremind ourselves repression increased quite significantly in russia over the last two years and that's what you see in an authoritarian regime. putin has been there for 22 years. have nothing left in their tool kit. they offer nothing to the people and so repression is all they have. so he is concerned about these messages getting in, which is why he's bans facebook and twitter and coming up with 15-year personalities for anyone that talks about the war. one concerning step is the way he's mobilizing the russian pu public. we have seen him, this is something he didn't do before so now they're trying to fill the stadiums with peop

and nato even though that's what zelenskyy really wants. bottom line, can ukraine win this war without it? >> yeah, absolutely. he's still contesting the air. thesis stems will be critical to help him doing that. if zelenskyy loses the air and russia can fly freely above him, they can bomb the cities freely and move troops around and do what they want to do really quickly. >> you mentioned that the air is still contested. that is our latest reporting as well. we also have new video of the ukrainian military destroying at least three russian military helicopters that were sitting at the kherson airport. you say that's really important, right? >> i think it's key. again, every day that they don't lose, they're winning, continuing to contest the air scares the russians. i think the comments by these pilots were critical, too, showing that the russian military is demoralized. soldiers don't fight for di dic dictators, they fight for a cause, for their families and their nations. >> you mentioned comments by the russian soldiers. i'm going to re

that was ukrainian president zelenskyy invoking some u.s. history to congress in his request for military aid. many lawmakers are embracing his demands, though, for more equipment. joining me on set is for some analysis is "the washington post" national security intelligence reporter shane harris, and symone harris. what dunk? >> i thought it was effective. hi hosted ukraine's version of "saturday night live." i don't say that cal lousily, but a thought the theatrics, how he's staged had is videos. sometimes he speaks in russian. today he spoke in english to the american people. i think it had an effect, but there are political reality. the political reality is no one wants to go to war with russia, no matter how impassioned that speech was. >> i'm going to put up a peephole that sports what you just said. 85% strict economic sanctions, 78% would like to see more military forces, 69% admit that -- only 35% are ready to take military action because of the risk of a name -- nuclear war. with 9/11, the fight was here. and i think this election,

president zelenskyy thanked the u.s. for all the support it has already provided, but he also made clear, it is not enough. president biden praised the passionate speech as convincing and significant, before offering a reality check about what the u.s. is ready to deliver. an extraordinary sight today as ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy, fighting for his country's survival, received a standing ovation from members of congress. appearing virtually in his trademark green army shirt, zelenskyy made a desperate appeal for more help. >> ( translated ): we need you right now. >> reporter: invoking pearl harbor... >> ( translated ): when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. >> reporter: ...and the attacks on 9/11. >> ( translated ): our country experienced the same, every day, right now, at this moment, every night for three weeks now. >> reporter: he also played a video showing the death and destruction unfolding across his country, moving some lawmakers to tears. president biden, too, commented on the carn

in zelenskyy's

and for president zelenskyy it's personal. more of my exclusive interview with him. >> when you hear vladimir putin talk about the ukrainian government as being full of neo-nazis, as somebody who is of jewish descent, how do you react to those statements? >> well, there are rare occasions when i smile and when i laugh, and for me to hear it it's as if something -- something similar to a joke. i cannot take this statement seriously. upon hearing the situation -- hearing the statements at first, you just think to yourself that this person has been in a leadership position for so many years and this person is supposed to have a very clear understanding of what ukrainian people are because of the soviet legacy, but i think that currently putin is in an information bubble. i think this is information bunker and it is so -- it is so powerful, this bunker of information, that he really thinks that ukrainians are neo-nazis. so this is a laughable statement for me, and a strike of fear resurfaces. i'm not afraid of anything except for

thank you. >> chief of staff to president zelenskyy. up next his boss the president, is refusing to back down. and his resilience and defiance is inspiring people in this country. that's comining up. i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer ♪ ♪ yea i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin ♪ yeah, that's all me ♪ ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ notng on my skin, that's my new plan ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. most who achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months had lasting clearance through 1 year. in another study, most people had 90% clearer skin at 3 years. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪ it's my moment ♪ ♪ so i just gotta say ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fevers, sweats, chil

one final question, you president zelenskyy's secretary, as president zelenskyy is admired worldwide and leadership has surpassed expectation of many, are you surprised or would you expect this type of courage by president zelenskyy? >> thank you. when the united states had this very generous gesture to help president zelenskyy from kyiv that was under threat of invasion, i knew that it wouldn't happen because i knew it wasn't part of the character of the president to leave his people. i was traveling with him all around the world and in ukraine and mostly he was traveling to donbas that russia invaded 8 years ago and he was eager to go to zero position where our soldiers, he never aboarded shellings and he was always sending near our soldiers to show that his leadership is of that kind when the leader must stay with the people. you know, if for president zelenskyy leaves ukrainian people he actually would abandon the whole nation and nowadays nation believes in him and rises this kind of leadership. i'm sure he will stand in kyiv to the very end. this is the type of zelenskyy that i

this week a deep fake showing zelenskyy surrounding to russia and zelenskyy quickly debunked the video. how dangerous could more sophisticated deep fakes be in a conflict like this. >> i think certainly what's dangerous is is not quite clear what the next move will be and with russia having used chemical weapons in syria before the false narratives around biolabs and new propaganda coming out is certainly concerning if it is a false flag to act as a pretext for escalation to use chemical weapons over there and what the ukrainians and western media have done is shut off the megaphone of social media that am amplifies russian propaganda and that eliminates the false narrative in the west and putin as time goes on as there is more protests like that brave reporter and producer in russia that you just showed the more it will become clear that his lies are a house of cards that could collapse at any moment. >> i do want to ask you about actor and former california governor schwarzenegger releasing his own video, can you explain how you think it might break through. >> i think it's really sm

but that's not going to stop zelenskyy from appearing before u.s. congress today and continue to try to ramp up the pressure on washington, namely president biden, to arm his country to stop russian aggression. what will you be looking for in his speech this morning? >> well, i think it'll be important to see what his tone is like in terms of the questions around things like long-term applications for nato and the eu, which are two red lines that putin has suggested need to be changed. now, i think that this is a very clear moment for the united states and a pivot point for its foreign policy. we have a choice right now, and we have an extremely stark choice. volodymyr zelenskyy represents everything that the u.s. purports to stand for. democracy, freedom, integrity in leadership, standing with your people rather than hiding in the kremlin. putin is the exact opposite. when volodymyr zelenskyy addresses congress, i think it is going to be crystal clear who we should choose in this fight. it has to be a long-term choice. a long-term strategic pivot p

not long after zelenskyy's addressed, joe biden announced

he's pushing zelenskyy into a position where zelenskyy has to look out and say essentially, these are the ukrainians that are alive still today, right? and i'm responsible for them. and how much do i want to save those lives that are alive today versus future ukrainians in 20 or 40 years that want to live in a country with real independence, with real security, right, with a real european-style economy and european values? he's got to weigh that. that's not an easy decision, and every time putin murders another ukrainian civilian, he increases the chance that zelenskyy will turn around and say, enough. i have to save people now. i can't keep this fight going. but that's what the referendum's for too. >> professor matthew schmidt there from the university of new haven in connecticut. thanks very much. >>> millions of ukrainians had to flee their homes because of the war and because of such a staggering number, aid workers sometimes have to think outside the box to find them a place to stay. that includes an offbeat refugee shelter in lviv located in what some call the wild house. don l

i want to start with what president zelenskyy just said. that american presidents are expected to be the leader of the world. isn't that what biden is doing right now? >> sure he is, he's expected to be the leader of the free world. and i hate to get any publicity to the previous president. but remember just five years ago, donald trump was interviewed by bill o'reilly of all people. before the super bowl, and he said, why are you liking putin so much, he's a killer? trump replied, you think that we don't have killers in our country, we have lots of killers to. that guy spent four years and more trying to erase the difference between autocracy and freedom. and take a look at what we saw today, anyone who saw zelenskyy with a sense of history, which i know you have. he reminded me, and i bet he reminded you of founders who fought for our freedom in america. those young people who fought in the 17 70s against an oppressor who wanted to stamp out our independence and freedom. and i hope what this will be is a clarifying moment that will tell a

impassioned plea by zelenskyy said close the skies over ukraine. i think invariably that's what the west is going to be doing to support ukraine. so i expect to hear announcement about surfaced to air missiles -- >> like the old soviet sa-10s, et cetera, or some newer surface-to-air missiles? >> i think the older variety will be in the area. we don't know to which level the ukrainian could leverage the 300s. >> he called for a new alliance that would respond to conflicts. what do you make of that proposal? >> we have such a thing. it's called the u.n. the problem is on the u.n. security council is the aggressor in this particular instance. this is a problem that western and world leaders have had going back a century. how do you create an international organization that will prevent exactly the kind of thing you had seen going on today. franklin roosevelt gave us the u.n. it has always been a problematic organization because it includes everybody, including the aggressors. he's trying to link ukraine and say our fight is your fight. that's the main