Plus an offshore earthquake in Japan and mass graves in Syria.
Good morning. We’re covering Zelensky’s speech to U.S. lawmakers, an offshore earthquake in Japan and mass graves in Syria. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine pleaded on Wednesday for more weapons and sanctions, showing searing footage of civilian casualties during a virtual address to U.S. lawmakers. In a remarkably direct appeal, he invoked the memories of Pearl Harbor and the Sept.11 attacks. “We need you right now,” he said. “I call on you to do more.” Zelensky pressed for a NATO no-fly zone over Ukraine, which the U.S. and alliance leaders have rejected because it would draw NATO pilots into direct confrontation with the Russians. Follow live updates here. He also asked for more weapons and antiaircraft batteries, a request to which Republicans and Democrats have been far more receptive, and for sanctions to be ratcheted up “every week” against Russia. Members of Congress were visibly emotional. What’s next: The U.S. warned Russia against using chemical or biological weapons, as President Biden announced $800 million more in military aid for Ukraine. NATO’s ministers will discuss enhancing defenses along the eastern front as Russia presses closer. Diplomacy: After military setbacks, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said that there was “ hope that a certain compromise can be reached.” Analysis: For President Vladimir Putin, the war is about ethnicity and empire, which have deep roots in Russian thought. In a video, he described the war in Ukraine as part of an existential clash with the U.S. and denigrated pro-Western Russians as “ scum and traitors .” Other updates: Two small tsunami waves hit the Japanese coast after a magnitude-7.3 earthquake offshore. Despite a tsunami alert in the Fukushima region, which was battered by a devastating quake and tsunami just over 11 years ago, there were no immediate reports of casualties.
