DC Edit | Peace on Zelenskyy agenda

In an impassioned plea from Capitol Hill on his first trip outside his country since February 24 when the Russian invasion began, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to emotions of the people of the free world in the manner of a great orator. His speech resonated well with his citizens back home even as the optics of the Washington visit suited Mr Joe Biden in his role of Ukraine’s staunchest supporter.

Mr Zelenskyy returned with the promise of $1.8 billion worth arms and equipment besides a battery of the Patriot air defence system, capable of downing cruise, short-range ballistic missiles, and aircraft. His fuller wish list of battle tanks and fighter jets was not fulfilled, but those will only come with the threat of further escalation of what Mr Vladimir Putin himself described, for the first time, as “war” in Ukraine.

Nato nations of Europe have also armed Ukraine with defensive military equipment, but they will not risk a direct confrontation with Russia. With the war having run 10 months already and Ukrainian cities bombarded to smithereens and infrastructure worth $100 billion damaged, the only thing the rest of the world looks forward to is light at the end of the tunnel showing the way for the war to end.

For all his wooing of allies, Mr Zelenskyy disclosed to the US Congress a 10-point peace formula as the basis of negotiations Ukraine could commit to. A sliver of optimism could be gleaned in Mr Putin’s response, an admission of sorts in him saying, “All conflicts, armed conflicts too, end one way or another with some kind of negotiations.” It does appear then that the aggressor himself would like to find a way to bring those who were bombed back to the table. A stabler world order hinges on this war stopping.