Bustos: Zelenskyy one of ‘most effective leaders’ in the world

(NewsNation) — U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, (D-Ill.) had strong words for Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, calling the Russian president a “thug” and the Ukrainian president “one of the most effective leaders of any nation anywhere in this point in history.”

Ahead of Zelenskyy’s Wednesday speech to Congress, where he urged the U.S. to “take the lead” and worked to rally support as the Russian invasion of his country continues, Bustos said the approach Ukraine’s leader has taken, from a communications perspective, has been “absolutely remarkable.”

“He is a freedom-loving leader and Ukraine is a freedom-loving country, as is the United States,” Bustos said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.” “We want to make sure that we’re there for more help is on its way.”

President Joe Biden recently signed a bill to send $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine. While Zelenskyy thanked Congress for its overwhelming support, he said the country needs more aid, including the creation of a ‘no-fly zone’ over Ukraine. However, the White House has stood firm against one, saying it could cause the war to escalate.

Although a very small group of legislators have said they’d be in favor of a no-fly zone in Ukraine, they are very much in the minority, Bustos said.

“The vast majority of members of the House and the Senate have deep concern about the United States getting deeper involved and more deeply involved in this,” she said, adding that the U.S. has helped Ukraine by supplying weapons and assisting with their humanitarian needs.

Right now, as a nation, the U.S. has to be ready to take in the close to 3 million Ukrainians who have had to escape their home country as refugees, Bustos added.

“The absolutely worst thing that could happen is for Ukraine to fall,” Bustos said. “We cannot let a thug like Putin and a thug nation take over a freedom-loving nation like Ukraine.”

What leaders are weighing now is how to get to a point where Putin and Zelenskyy or their surrogates can continue to talk.

Zelenskyyy, in an act of compromise, said he accepts Ukraine not joining NATO.

“He sounded somewhat encouraging overnight,” Bustos said. “And so we have to hope that the conversations continue … I think our leaders have been very, very clear that if Putin continues to escalate, the sanctions in everything that we can do economically will continue to escalate against Russia at the same time.”