Zelenskyy’s House speech cancellation shocked Ukraine supporters in U.S. believes Eastern Europe VoA chief Gongadze
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Ukraine's supporters in the U.S. were shocked when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suddenly canceled his planned online address to the House of Representatives during a closed-door meeting on Dec. 5, just a day before a crucial vote on a support package for Kyiv amounting to over $61 billion, argued Voice of America (VOA) Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze on Radio NV on Dec. 6.
Gongadze:
The Democrats wanted to play one of their key cards, which, in their view, was the Ukrainian President's speech with his arguments about the situation on the front and the current state of the country. The last-minute cancellation was seen as a setback for them, as the Democrats are losing their arguments and it would have been important to hear Zelenskyy's emotional address.
Of course, this is a closed session, where the members of administration, the secretary of state, and the heads of the U.S. military command speak. But this speech was expected.
And the fact that it was canceled at the last minute is actually a problem not only for the support of Ukraine, but also for those who are advocating support in the Senate to advance assistance.
At the same time, the Ukrainian delegation, including the Presidential Administration head and the Defense Minister, are working in Washington, actively holding meetings on Capitol Hill, the process is ongoing, Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's U.S. Ambassador, told Gongadze.
But such an abrupt cancellation of the address, which was presumably agreed upon beforehand, is seen as surprising, worrying, and unclear.
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