outmanned by a superior force, the british -- improve morale, and get more from everyone who is now at the foreign support to enable the american people to defeat the is evading victory. british. >> and obviously, that's why he standing here today, i recall used it. because this is a moment. this is the winter for ukraine. this is the hardest time, the electricity. families are cold, he talked >> the american people in their about celebrating christmas. he knows his people -- this was an extraordinary -- might win through the absolute moment here in his greens and victory. his coming to address -- the ukrainian people will win what looked like to me a state of the union speech. you had everyone there except as well, absolutely. the supreme court. and he was greeted and hailed as a hero by most people in that chamber. there were notably some [applause] conservatives who sat on their hands. but he was greeted as a hero. and he made the point [interpreter] >> i know that everything -- and this resonates with

americans. because we are the product of a depends on us, on ukrainian revolution, right? ukraine holds its lines and armed forces, so much depends will never surrender. on the world. >> yeah. >> i know we also talked about so much on the world depends on a ten point peace proposal you. which he did not really -- >> he did not present even one when i was in bakhmut, point of that. but he has gone public with the yesterday, our heroes gave me steps he thinks needs to be taken. >> right. but he said, let the world see us. let the world see what we are going through, and you as the flag, a battle flag those americans, thank you so much, but you know what we are going -- >> this had to be helpful for a who defend ukraine, europe, and lot of the members here who were in the audience, the ones the world at the cost of their who approved the aid. lives. i ask me to bring this flag to they are the ones who have not gotten the private audience you, to the u.s. congress, two with president zelenskyy, and nancy pelosi has. these rank and file members members of the house of have not. representatives and senators, in explaining what the objective, is the -- total victory here. whose decisions can save talking about how your money is millions of people. not charity, something that he so let these decisions be taken, -- says they are not taking this money for granted, he says. that this flag be today with is this enough money? you. no. it's probably not enough. he is suggesting they're going to have to prepare for more in ladies and belmont. just that. i do want to point out some key reaction though coming out of -- in this war we stand, we fight, the house for kevin mccarthy --

and annie greer caught up with and we win, because we are him and he says he supports ukraine but does not support a united. ukraine, america, and the anti blank check. he said that's -- >> that sort of a straw man. no one is suggesting a blank or world. check. >> exactly. what does that mean going >> [applause] forward? that's gonna be the big question for ukraine and the future -- >> no one has actually suggested that there be a blank check for ukraine. >> ambassador taylor, one of the few things, let me -- yelling something from the >> [applause] gallery overseeing the house. and we did not know what it was [applause] and we now have some reporting from inside the chamber. we shouting and ukrainian, from the ukrainian delegation, >> just one thing, if i can -- yelling -- [speaking non-english] >> [speaking non-english] >> and also gave us america, overlooking the chamber and the last thing, thank you so much. members of the house and senate, may god protect our brave looking up democrats and republicans and applauding the troops and citizens. ukrainian delegation. may god forever bless the i could not help but notice united states of america, merry that president zelenskyy also referred to the russian people as victims of the kremlin. christmas and happy, victorious new year. -- it was not just the ukrainian

[speaking non-english] people. he was also talking about the russian people being under siege by putin. >> he did. and that's controversial, actually, in ukraine. ukraine sees russia as now just clearly the enemy, overwhelming the ukrainians, no matter what language they speak, no matter where they're from, they see russia as the enemy. and so that reach out to russian people -- that possibility of some conversation with russian people was unusual. >> and particularly, because >> thank you so much. early in the day, the -- russian leaders responsible inhuman he is determined human -- and by the way, when we speak of a ten point peace peace plan [applause] without any specific, listen to the other language here. he said about the russians, they destroy everything they >> i can hold. see. as you noted, he said ukraine >> okay. will never surrender when you listen to that at this moment turn around. -- >> it sounds like a leader -- there you go. whose civilian population has [applause] been bombarded by ukrainian

missiles, bombs, -- human rights violations that last five months or a month i should say -- you are watching spell of the special edition of ac360. let's go to anderson cooper >> this flag was flown over the now. >> yeah, jake, thanks very much. you are watching three 60. capital today in honor of the we are talking more about president zelenskyy speech in presidents visit. the team here in new york -- i want to first go to clarissa >> [applause] ward standing by in paris who has of course been covering the war in ukraine from before it began. clarissa, i'm wondering what you made of president zelenskyy's address. one of the things he talked about, he talked about iran and -- in honor of the presidents the alliance between the two and telling the members of visit. congress it is a matter of time before they strike at other of your allies -- >> yeah, i think, anderson, that volodymyr zelenskyy [applause] understood that he had to meet the moment. and i think he certainly was successful in achieving that objective. this was a strong rousing [applause] speech in which he really >> it's a rousing and inspiring pushed for broad bipartisan support. speech from the president of he knew what buttons to press

ukraine, a very rare moment for for which different representatives. obviously, talking about iran, a world leader to speak to a joint meeting of congress, and calling iran a terrorist state, some members of the house, members of the senate. hold on. without actually saying the we are going to listen to word -- but saying the danger of one of speaker pelosi -- america's number one allies been attacked by iran. >> the purpose of the joint he knew what he was going for their. he also used lots of historical joint -- analogies, as we have heard, the purpose of the joint -- appealing to america's >> god bless america! fundamentals, sort of sense of identity as a country that was borne out of a revolution, fought for freedom. what i felt was interesting beyond that, anderson, just as i was watching president >> the purpose of the joint zelenskyy speak was how he really has sort of modeled meeting having been completed, the chair declares a joint himself as the anti-putin. meeting of the two houses now dissolved. the house will continue in recess subject to the call of in almost every way. he is informal, he is the chair. approachable, he wears military >> all right. fatigue, very simple sweatshirts and pants, he is the gavel has come down and the casual, he is personable, he joint meeting is over. a rousing an inspiring speech

from ukrainian president zelenskyy. he invoked his three. he talked about -- speaks intimately, directly to americans in their home, the compared ukrainian soldiers directly to ukrainians through in the winter in the donbas the use of selfies and whatever video he might be making. so, in a sense, i think he region, fighting russians to really has captured americans imaginations as this kind of american soldiers in 1944, seminal anti-putin man of the during the battle of the bulge, moment. he was very, very savvy about fighting the, nazis quoted franklin delano roosevelt, and really pressing the right he even invoked the turning buttons in order to elicit an emotional response, and also to point of the revolutionary war -- saratoga -- shore up the support ahead of what is promised to be a very difficult year for ukraine. and then what was the -- bill taylor the last thing he he urged that time is of the said in ukraine. >> he said [speaking non-english] which means glory to ukraine and the response for all essence. i think you said this battle ukrainians coming back to glory cannot be frozen or postponed. ukraine has done so well, but to the heroes. what they feel now is they >> glory to the heroes -- cannot afford to slow down. >> given credit to the heroes, they need to keep their foot on on the frontlines. the gas, they need the support, and i have to say, one of the and they need those weapons. things, jim sciutto, that i was thinking, while watching this >> it's also extraordinary was, man, this is vladimir putin's worst nightmare. he thought that this war was going to be over in 24 hours. milestone in the war to have president zelenskyy leading the he got zelenskyy by now would country for the first time to

have been abandoned and killed come here. and instead volodymyr zelenskyy clarissa, when you were there 's time magazine's person of in the east of the country, i think it was, when the war the year, being greeted as a began, and then quickly in kyiv hero by a bipartisan group of as there was being bombarded. the house and senate. did you ever imagine that i don't have much sympathy for ukraine would be where it is now still standing, still vladimir putin any day. but he's not having a good night. >> no. independent, and the president and he's watching. he's watching not just the speech but he is watching this household name in the united states? joining of the minds and the >> i don't think anyone ever nation, between ukraine and a could have predicted the fellow superpower in the u.s.. extraordinary trajectory of and that is quite a moment. this war. and the extraordinary success with my consequences beyond it. of ukraine's counteroffensives. but also the extraordinary success of president vladimir passionate, full of shared zelenskyy, who has, as i have purpose -- for the free world. said, captured people's imaginations. and deliberately, addressing not just in ukraine, not just the american people, the first people he talked to with the in the u.s., but all around the people at home, saying, i hope world. the idea that he would actually that this resonates in each american heart. and that's deliberate, i leave the country during this war, with the risk that that believe, saying -- it's not some distant war. entails, that he would go it's a battle you can relate within a space of two days, anderson, from being on the to. and then all those historical front lines in one of the most

dangerous places in the country comparisons to our, war of in the city of bakhmut, to independence, not accidental, just as you said, going in, he being at the white house, to does this deliberately, >> although i have decided to say speaking to congress and the american people. the battle of saratoga maybe a bit of a bridge too far -- honestly, that is the kind of >> people are googling right now to. the one thing i -- bold and risky move that we thought this would be overly. have come to associate with he was intelligence office would be overly. remember the early assessments zelenskyy, getting to know him overtime. that the thought kyiv would fall in 72 hours? and i was not a crazy but i don't think anyone assumption or assessment given could've predicted at the beginning of this invasion that russia's advantages. and perhaps with a dose of we would see that kind of great, pride, the cranium president i kind of determination. said, despite the gloom and also that kind of savvy. it has really served him well, doom, -- >> keep in mind, the he has had an extraordinary group of advisers that were significance of the battle of saratoga -- >> go right ahead -- surrounding him as well as >> it was the turning point of the american war for helping him to find just the right tone to strike with independence. it was a time for american everyone who he talks to and who the support he needs in soldiers who were outgunned and order to ensure that ukraine can keep up the momentum, anderson. >> yes, clarissa ward, thank you. kaitlan collins, one of the things that the associated with president zelenskyy talked about probably to those members

of congress who may be skeptical or frankly unwilling for the u.s. to continue to push a court court support in the american people were frustrated the amount of people, he said your money is not charity, it's an investment of democracy and global security. >> that line, i think, is one of the key lines for the entire speech. and i say, very quickly, i covered trump, it is so stunning to me to see president zelenskyy and the house of representatives speaking in the same place to impeach trump into does it a 19. and the circumstances he had tonight. >> we have artillery, yes. is it enough? no. earlier say we have one patriot missile, a yes, we will ask for more. he was very candid about what he wants and what he thinks he needs, helping accelerate what he thinks he needs for the ukrainian victory by giving them what they so desperately need. -- and he's very candid about what he wants what he thinks he needs. and hoping accelerate what he wants to be this ukrainian victory by giving them what they so desperately need it. to the moment of this being an investment, he also said we are not looking for u.s. troops. we can operate your tanks,

operate your planes, which we have not gotten, he said we can do that ourselves, we just need the actual material. >> just repositioning the story of ukraine in the minds of americans, instead of being this far away country that is batted around in partisan politics, where it is tied to some of the conspiracy theories that president trump pushed when he initially tried to extract something out of zelenskyy and that phone call. and reposition it as a soviet republic, and an independent story. in trying to tie that to the american independence story. everything was extremely purposeful with how it was laid out. i think that was a very tight speech. there was nothing on there that was not aimed at someone. you would hear alliance that was directed at the russian people, putin himself, >> an independence, he said, we will also go through our war than a penance with dignity and success, not wanting hands out. they want dignity and success. >> even mentioning world war ii

and nazis. a chief propaganda point -- metabolized right wing fringe is that ukraine is full of neo-nazis, and they are thugs and this is why the u.s. should not be helping them. you will see the sunshine. we will hear this coming from lawmakers. and i think again plans these little nuggets in the speech to reposition these concepts. because he knows what is floating around. so very savvy person in this way. >> i want to bring in doris good winds, the author of turbulent leadership -- doris, it's great to have you on again. i'm wondering where you place the historical significance of this visit, and what you made of president zelenskyy's speech. >> the extraordinary thing about the speech i think is as everyone i was saying, he just targeted the different binds of american history that he wanted to bring up. when he talked about roosevelt 's line, that was not the line everybody remembers about the pearl harbor speech, they remember the only thing, this will be a day that lives in

infamy, not the righteous mind that we will continue on forever that was a line that fdr wrote himself at the bottom of the second draft, that was important. i think was a lewinsky data by coming at christmas, i don't know that they knew that, but it brings back the thought that when churchill was, bringing his speech to the joint session of congress and bring that world war ii, it brings back the fight between america and britain. and now america and ukraine. he talked as if the alliance was already there. together, they will do this. they already established the american people mind that were in this thing together. then pointing out that the soldiers will do the fighting for us, just give us the tourism will finish the job. that's what churchill said. i keep thinking back to when churchill came to the white house, it was christmas time, 81 years ago now, he was very nervous before the speech, i winter has a lot he felt tonight, churchill said he knew it was a turning point for history, he was afraid in japan attacked us and then we would go to japan instead of caring about germany and europe.

finally he asked for tumbler tumblers have cheri in the morning. he has four scotch and soda. yes first champagne and 90 old brandi tonight. >> he stayed at the white house. he was camped out at the white house. >> he stayed at the white house, he stayed right there. the memo sweet. i stayed in that room i went to a sleep over with hillary clinton and bill clinton when they invited me to see what it it's like when churchill and roosevelt were there together. that was in the room he was. and he was in the same room when you took that out that morning when a practice to speech, but -- >> i know -- i know detailed because he read it, -- according to butler in the white house walked into an argument between eleanor roosevelt and franklin or is villa del luna or was also not been told by franklin the church was actually coming. >> it was a big surprise. she wanted to be prepared for him. but he wanted it to be a secret so it would be a surprise when she came, eleanor was not happy about that. they had an extraordinary time. in fact, they would stay up

until two a. m., churchill and roosevelt, drinking smoking, and eleanor would come in and say isn't it time for you boys to go to bed? the next day, churchill can good take a nap, and roosevelt had to run the country. he was exhausted after roosevelt and churchill were together during the time. but it cemented their lives, and speak to the joint session. they said when churchill came out there, at first they talked about the connection between the two countries. then he talked about what kind of people do the germans think we are? did they think we will not persevere until the end? and then he said they roared like a british line. there was huge pause, just like for zelenskyy tonight. and i think he submitted that relationship between us and the ukrainian people tonight. that's what they wanted to do, it will be very hard for the public sentiment of the country for ukraine. they may be able to override america first was on the isolationist longer that might not want to give them what they need to have. >> it's so interesting, doris how, throughout history, especially in the age of the zoom calls and mass communication, that coming to a

place, meeting people in person, showing yourself, making a speech in front of members of congress, it makes a difference in, it can affect things in a way that is doom speech cannot. >> it's absolutely huge. i remember when churchill and roosevelt first met. churchill said it's fun to be the same decade with you. you you can't feel that through a zoom. you can't feel that for a. faraway, you feel it through the chemistry. and when you listen to that press conference today felt so connection between president biden and president zelenskyy. they taste each other, they talked about things that are relaxed. way and there is nothing like a personal connection that does that. that's one of the reason that churchill not only came at christmas time, he would come for weeks at a time throughout the war to make sure the personal connection stayed strong. i think we are seeing the result of that. how he was able to put that speech together tonight and not feel the nervousness. maybe he did that churchill

felton came out did exactly what they need to do. he's got to feel really good. he did what you need a speaker to do. he spoke in that -- the very first line, he said, the applause is not for me. it's for the ukrainian people. always the ukrainian people -- the foundation of what he was saying -- that's what you need, that humility of later. this is not many. this is my country, this is my people. i thought it was terrific this is a night i feel like we are living in history. and we have to remember how important this democracy is for us. and when we think about all the minor things we worry about in our country right now, preserving democracy here at home, and preserving it abroad is what we should all be thinking and maybe this will raise us to that height -- and we will look at the january 6th hearings and we will think of, where do we go to preserve this democracy? and connect it all together. i feel like i'm living in history tonight. for me, as an historian, it's a great feeling. >> especially if you have a leader that comes here who probably still has the dust of the front lines on the boots that he is wearing, where he was just two days ago. gosh, i love talking to you,

doris kearns goodwin, thank you so much. it's such a pleasure. >> i'm so glad to be with you. >> take care. we will talk again soon. david sanger, what to do make of it tonight? >> just speaking up on what doris said. he talked as if we were allies. in fact, ukraine is not a member of nato. they're not a treaty ally of the united states. he never made the case here that ukraine should get into nato. but basically the case he made with you should treat me as if i'm already in there. in nato -- which i thought was pretty fascinated. but if you listened carefully between the lines, you also heard his fears. obviously, the coming winter, obviously, the fact that the mere mass of the russian force is beginning to show up. one american military official noted to me that if those 300,000 conscripts actually get

trained and show up in the spring comes, zelenskyy will be facing a bigger russian force that he had ever faced before. that is a significant line. i think the final thing was the indication of iran. it was meant to go bridge the republicans who were still hesitant. >> to david's point, you are absolutely right. the key thing that he really asked for was more weapons. he asked for a 16's and he did not say the term of 16. but that's what he meant when it came to the airplanes, he wanted abram tanks. any one of those things because he knows those things actually work in terms of their tactical capabilities and their ability to actually prosecute the war effort. and that is a really big thing, a big ask -- >> hundred thousand conscripts, even if poorly trained, even if low morale itself in 2000 bodies found of the frontline.

>> exactly. and what that does understand, it goes back to russian history, because the russians always use the mass of people into these kinds of conflicts. they bring as many people as they possibly can to fight. and that is where either you have the people you have the technology. if you combine both, and that is a really good thing. but most countries cannot do that. and ukraine is banking on the technology part. >> let's go back to jake in d.c.. jake? >> -- right now where we have our own reporter will ripley. and will this is obviously a huge moment for the ukrainian people. but the key question, because the russians have been attacking all of the infrastructure in ukraine, how many of them you -- don't know the exact number -- but were any of them able to actually watch president zelenskyy addressed destroy many of congress? >> very few. partially because it's the middle of the night here but also because millions of people in ukraine right now are in the dark, and the cold, i don't

have electricity. they don't have heat. and yes, this is a hugely triumphant moment. and people here will undoubtedly be proud of their president for being on the fine lines in bakhmut, where he was speaking with troops. and you could hear the explosions from artillery near his location. and then 24 hours later he is in the united states capitol and he delivers this powerful speech, as a very productive meeting, bringing back big help for the men and women who are fighting on the front lines, the families who are struggling here to just live when they did not have electricity or heat for sometimes days on and. there are people here in the capital kyiv for telling us that they have electricity for less than an hour a day. so they cannot really watch, and frankly people don't have a whole lot of time to celebrate, because they have to fight this war, and they are fighting this war with their own blood. they are getting weapons, they're getting money from around the world. but it is ukrainians who are

dying every single day, fighting this war. and so that is what they have to focus on, is how they are going to survive tomorrow, how they are going to hold the line to the east and the south, how the air going to fortify their defenses to the north with a russian troop buildup in belarus and the potential for hundreds of thousands of troops to once again try to make an invasion heading straight toward the capital city, kyiv, and how do they do that when their power grid is so crippled that they have essentially, in some places, run out of soviet era replacement parts to fix the power grid -- they are even appealing to four other other former soviet nations for part because they just don't make them anymore. so the reality of the situation here is that as triumphant as this is, the ukrainians know more than anyone else in the world that this war is far from over. >> triumphant here in washington, dire in ukraine. will ripley, thanks so much. joining me now, the former u.s. ambassador to ukraine, marie ivanovich. she's also author of the book lessons from the edge. ambassador yovanovitch, give us your reaction to president

zelenskyy speech tonight, both the content and just the fact of it at all. >> i completely agree with one of your previous speakers, doris kerns goodwin, that this is hannah storied moment and we are going to look back on this moment, this speech, the way we look back on fdr's speech, and some of the others who have been invoked tonight. i think that president zelenskyy, coming from bakhmut, traveling thousands of miles west to washington valley see, to thank the american people, thank the congress and the president of the united states, but to also say we can win this war but we need additional assistance, in order to win it. and this is not a charity. this is an investment in the international global order. this is an investment in u.s. security. i thought it was really masterful. and he also combined not only the strategic thinking but also appeals to our emotions,

talking about christmas in a couple of days and how ukrainians are going to celebrate probably mostly by candlelight, not because it is romantic because they don't have electricity. >> i think every american can relate to that. and obviously, we want to help to stop these attacks by the russians, to not only provide the defensive systems that are necessary. but also the humanitarian assistance and the energy assistance that is necessary in ukraine right now. >> it was interesting, also, when he invoked christmas, he talked about the fate that we have an ourselves, the faith that the ukrainian people have in their ability to fight into win this war. you have previously referred to president zelenskyy has one of the great communicators of our age, like one of our great communicators, ronald reagan, he is a former actor. do you think that that is one of the reasons why he iso effective at getting his message across? what do you think sets him

apart from the other world leaders with whom you have dealt? >> i do think they are personal qualities that maybe we did not see, in the very beginning, when he was elected president. but we have certainly seen over the last ten months, that there is the personal courage of staying in kyiv when he knew he was being hunted down by -- team. when the strategic guidance he has provided his country, and the communication skills that you referred to are also extraordinary and i think absolutely, he is tapping into his past experience as a performer, as an actor, and somebody who knows how to wechat two different audiences, and move them. but he is also -- he has got that other skill that is often we are and leaders. he's a good listener. he listens to the ukrainian people. and he is not only leading them but he is reflecting in his leadership where they are and where they want to go. and that resolve that we see

and ukraine, it is coming from him. but it's also coming from the people themselves, as he referred to in his speech. >> let me bring in jim sciutto and ask a question. >> ambassador yovanovitch, i certainly don't have to remind, you i might have some remind some people watching that you are a central figure in the first impeachment because you are talkative the former president, because you did not go along with a very different approach to ukraine, a dismissive approach, one might say. i wonder if you could describe the shift between then and now in terms of u.s. support. and could ukraine be putting up the fight that it is today without that change, without that shift, without u.s. support? >> i think you are support is absolutely critical to the fight in ukraine right now. and every ukrainian, starting with president zelenskyy on throughout the population, recognizes that. and is very grateful -- every american that they meet, how grateful they really are. our support is crucial.

it is the cranes who are fighting and dying. it is the ukrainians who are winning battles, whether it's the battle of kyiv, whether it's the battle of kherson. what they are doing it with our assistance, with our essential assistance, whether it is equipment, whether it is training, whether it is other forms of assistance. and i think everybody knows that. and that is why the president of ukraine took this very risky and bold move to fly to washington valley see, to say thank you and the fight is not over. and the fight will continue and it is important to ukraine but also important to the united states -- we are in this together and this is our joint battle. >> yeah. >> i think he made a very compelling case. >> every time he's outside, or even when he is inside, he is at risk of being killed by the russian military. former u.s. ambassador to

ukraine, masha maria yovanovitch. thank you so much for being with us. coming up, it's none of them former secretary of state hillary clinton. cnn's coverage of president zelenskyy's address to congress continues after this quick break. we will be right back. seatgeek presents the high-fives-strangers guy. seatgeek got him a great deal on tickets, so he can focus on what he does best: smacking palms. seatgeek handles the tickets, so fans can fan.

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>> we're back with three 60. it's been a historic evening in washington. he cranes president, volodymyr zelenskyy tonight, 300 some days into the war, you military aid package in hand, including patriot anti aircraft missiles addressing a joint meeting of congress. >> we will celebrate christmas, celebrate christmas and even if there is no electricity, delight in our faith in ourselves, and we will not be put out.

if russian missiles attack us, we will do our best to protect ourselves and if they attack us with ukrainian drones, and our people have to go to bomb shelters on christmas eve, ukrainians will still set sit down at the holiday table and shop each other. and we don't have to know every one's wish, as we know that all of us -- millions of ukrainians -- wish the same. victory. only victory. [applause] >> we are joined now by former secretary of state and presidential candidate hillary clinton. what are your thoughts about what president zelenskyy said -- >> i thought it was extraordinary, anderson. it was, as others have said, rousing, and inspiring. it also touched all the cords.

it connected the struggle of ukrainian people to our own revolution, to our own feelings. that we want to be warm in our homes to celebrate christmas and get us to think about all the families in ukraine that will be huddled in the cold. and to know that they are on the front lines of freedom right now. they are fighting their cause is our cause. and i was thrilled to see the very positive response from the congress. i also thought that the meeting between president zelenskyy and president biden was substantive and very positive, along with the press conference. it could not have been a better day for him. but more importantly, as he pointed out, a better day for the people of ukraine and for the cause of democracy and freedom. >> do you think that sending a patriot battery to ukraine was the right moves? >> absolutely.

>> i hope that they will send more than one. i know that there has been some reluctance in the past by not just the united states but our nato allies. to provide a lot of the advanced equipment, particularly in this case, defensive equipment, which is what the patriot battery is. but i think we have seen -- we have seen with our own eyes how effective the ukrainian military is. i think they will be quickly trained to use the patriot system. and they should be getting as much help as we can give them to end this war, as quickly as possible in victory. >> there is obviously opposition among some particularly republicans in congress, can mccarthy said something towards the effect of his natural american families are gonna be willing to continue writing a blank check or having a blank check in a recession to ukraine -- do you think that zelenskyy's visit will have changed any

minds and those who were skeptical? >> i think it will certainly have strengthened both democrats and republicans who understand what is at stake in this fight against putin and russian aggression. and now with their ally iran as well -- i also think no one is absolutely asking for a blank check. i believe that ukrainians have proven that they are really good investment for the united states. there are not asking us to be there to fight their war. they are fighting at themselves. they're asking us and our allies for the means to not only defend themselves but to actually win. so i think this had a positive effect. and i agree with some of the people you have already talked with on the program. this was historic and some people have compared it to when churchill came, 81 years ago, and basically asked that the

united states continue to stand with them after we had been attacked. and we did. so there were a lot of points that zelenskyy made that were quite resonant with any of us who know how hard our own struggle for freedom -- and the cost that we have paid to defend it over all these years actually has been. >> -- vladimir putin on a number of occasions. i'm wondering what you make of the position that he now finds himself in. and what you think he may do. >> it's always probably impossible to actually predict. but i think around now what he is considering is to throw more bodies and that's what they will, be bodies. russian conscripts into the fight in ukraine. it has been proven, i think conclusively, that he is willing to sacrifice as many

russian men as he can around up throughout the vast reach of russian territory. i think he is trying desperately to convince lukashenko in belarus -- to try to get him involved and so -- lukashenko has played his hand adroitly. he does not want to get drawn into that. he does not want to see his own military decimated. where that ends up, i don't think we know yet. so, there has to be a moment of reckoning, and it can only come if the cost both in military losses and in economic pain, because of sanctions, continues to increase on putin. and i thought it was quite smart of zelenskyy to make it clear that he is willing to reach out to the russian people. he, in effect, invited the russian people to free their

minds from the rule of putin. and by doing, so he is sending a signal that, if the russian people, whether it is people around putin or more generally people out in the country, understand that this is a war that is putin's war, not russia's war, that could also change the internal dynamics that will be confronting putin. so, there's a lot of moving pieces. but the most important thing is to keep supplying them with what they need to keep defeating russia every chance they get. >> do you think that is a possible scenario of dissent in russia? whether it's nationwide or among powerful forces around vladimir putin, that that could actually topple him? >> i don't know about topple, but it could certainly influence the calculations he makes. there is some reporting that i've seen coming out of russia that there is increasing

distress and anger among mothers of sons, people who are related to those russian men who have been rounded up. as they come back, having been poorly or not at all trained, having been killed on the front line of putin's war, that can have an impact. i think information continues, not enough but still, to seep into russia. so that the defeats and the resolve of the ukrainian people becomes clear and clear. i think there will be jockeying around putin, one never knows if there is an appetite to do anything directly against him or to try to maneuver him so that he is looking for an exit. all of this is happening simultaneous. this is an incredibly complex set of circumstances, anderson. but, right now i think it is fair to say ukraine has the upperhand, ukraine is winning

its war thanks to the enormous support we and others have provided. and we need to keep the pressure on putin. >> hillary clinton, appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. coming up next, the conversation we got to know well since russia invaded ukraine. now -- we talk to her throughout the war, she was sheltering in a basement in kyiv with her three children while her husband was fighting, but she thought of the visit and what he had to say tonight.

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>> around the world tonight landmarks are shrouded in darkness. take a look. these are for the opera house rescinding the parliament in brussels. london's where they turn out the lights in solidarity solidarity to million -- power has been taken away from them by the attacks of russia. the display tonight at the end of the short darkest a day of the year in the northern hemisphere, part of the hashtag late at ukraine campaign,

ukrainian government fund-raise drive to acquire generators from hospitals around the country. joining us is a lanagan-esque, throughout the war we have been visiting with her from her home in kyiv, from that basement knit will she was sheltered for much of the war. recently, her family temporarily relocated to this country. glad you could be here on this important night. it's great to see you, and it's great to see the kids with you. what did you make of the presidents speech? >> we have been listening closely to the president, we are very proud of him, but it was very bittersweet feeling, anderson. because it's a shame that our president had to fly all the way from ukraine to hear, to america, just to persuade to back the weapons. after 300 days of the war, he still needs to convince someone that the war is real. and that america has to react, and the whole world has to react. the thought that you don't want the third world war to happen,

it does not mean that putin did not start it yet. he started, he attacked the whole free world, this is now on ukraine who is covering the free world as a shield, this shield is mainly the bodies of our people. to women and children that stay over there right now. in the freezing temperatures. >> it is one of the points he made tonight. and i want to get the quote right. he said he spoke of russia and iran, the alliance they made, he said it's a matter of time before they strike at other of your allies. he talked about this not being charity. it's an investment in democracy and global security. that was something he was trying to get across. >> and i agree with him, the longer this war goes on, the longer is a terrorist. he feels like he goes unpunished. and they have a dictatorship in this world, they say look, putin is destroying another country, killing thousands of people, no one can stop him. he is strong, stronger than

america. let's make friends with, them let's go with, it we see in cooperating with iran. me and my children heard the iranian drones above our home in ukraine. yes, we don't want any chinese drones over there. we don't want to make this war global. we don't want to bring this war to your house in america. here we want it to stop. to stop there must be some decisions, some decisive weapons. because it is not enough to stop the enemy and to push that terrorist. it is not enough. millions of money. it's a lot, thank you for this, guys. it's still not in. if russia gets more money from oil and gas. we still have people in the business that want to do business as usual. >> it was, i'm wondering, on a personal level, to watch your president speaking in washington while you are in the u.s. temporarily, what was that

like? >> it was, he called this historical speech, but i'm like, will lead to really change something? it's cool, it looks like a great tv show. it's cool for america to be proud and all of, that you put these ukrainian flags everywhere. but for people in ukraine, it's like, it's a show, for them, it's not on tv, is the reality. they need the weapons, like yesterday. >> it was obviously risky for the president to make this trip, both his own personal safety, what could happen in ukraine while he is out of the country. do you think it was worth the risk? >> come on, what kind of risk? he recently visited bakhmut on the front line. i was impressed, but not this. this visit to america does not

seem to us in ukraine that is being dangerous. students -- close to the frontline, they face more danger than zelenska flying to washington. >> finally, how are you and your family doing so far in the u.s.? >> we want to come back home. we want our home to stay intact. we want our friends to stay alive and come back from the front lines. we want all the ukrainians to come back and to start our peaceful life from the very beginning. but, it is real. christmas is coming. we want to have the christmas mood. but unlike you americans, here, being in america as ukrainians, we feel that the war is already here. it's not somewhere far away. it's already. here it is happening. to know when you have christmas dinner, when you enjoy this time. the roof is on fire. and is the most important right now to stop the fire.

it is already happening. it is huge. it just happened that is happening in my country, in ukraine. it is involving the whole world. right now, somewhere in ukraine, in my country, it will be decided, in which kinds of the world your children will be living. and >> those are the stakes? >> i'm asking. >> those are the stakes, it's not just you saying it's a battle for ukraine, it's a battle for democracy and freedom. >> this is a battle of the world, and a result of the battle will define which kind of the worlds our children will be living in. will it be the free and democratic world where it life matters? there is dignity and respect? and equality? or, russia pulls us back to tyranny and into darkness?

>> i appreciate talking to you, i appreciate talking to you on this night, thank you. >> thank you, anderson, it was a pleasure. >> we will be right back. ray's a1c is down with rybelsus®. i'm down with rybelsus®. my a1c is down with rybelsus®. in a clinical study, once-daily rybelsus® significantly lowered a1c better than a leading branded pill. in the same study, people taking rybelsus® lost more weight. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration,

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>> as eloquent as president zelenskyy's words were tonight there was a moment towards the end of the's remarks that spoke powerfully. he presented the ukrainian flag to speaker pelosi and vice president harris. yellow and blue covered and signatures. it is the farthest thing from the ordinary souvenir. it came just 24 hours earlier from his visit to the front lines in bakhmut, signatures from the troops there, they're way of saying thank you for this country's help. it is a historic night, and of course, cnn is going to continue to cover it like no one else. erin burnett picks it up right now.

>> good evening,