A bearded man with stubble on his cheeks looking like a hedgehog in green pajamas, and with a voice that gurgles and grunts like that of a football coach, strolled up the aisle of the The House of Representatives and got down to the business at hand. The free world is not always so free. Democracy comes with a price.
His English was sometimes hard to understand, but he bravely came prepared for our own sometimes difficult language. He placed his text on the podium, and pushed his fingers carefully along the paper, so as not to lose his place. He wobbled his head and spoke of his Ukrainian values, except he said, “Walues”, which was perfectly appropriate for Eastern Europe.
“We do not complain,” he said, even though his country is being shredded by the Russians. “We will celebrate with dignity, together with you when the war is over.”
And we will. We will support him to the end, as we did when Churchill needed help to fight the War in Europe. We will also not put the burden of this profoundly illegal and brutal war on the shoulders of our allies. As he said,”Will celebrate together.”
His speech was humble, short and sweet. After all, the best speeches are usually, “Begin, Brief, Be seated.” No more than two or three points, and then a dynamic closing.
I bet that most of us knew nothing about Ukraine until February, 20, 2022, until when Vladimir Putin started a war that could possibly go nuclear. He will rue the day if he ever gets caught.