Zelensky borrowed a quote from Abraham Lincoln to describe the efforts of Ukrainian forces (Picture: AP; Getty; Reuters)
Volodymyr Zelensky has delivered a brutal message to Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian soldiers will continue to ‘chew and choke’ Russian forces in the fight ‘for every inch of land’.
The Ukrainian leader borrowed an ‘inspirational’ quote from the famous former US president Abraham Lincoln during a visit to Washington DC on Thursday.
After meeting with current president Joe Biden and addressing an audience at the US National Archives Museum, Mr Zelensky posted a string of messages on X, previously known as Twitter.
He lauded the strength of the Ukrainian military for their relentless efforts to not only fend off invading Russian fighters, but to also push them back.
‘Among the documents I saw today at the National Archives was Abraham Lincoln’s telegram to General Grant,’ he wrote.
‘An inspiring document. “Hold on with a bulldog grip, and chew and choke as much as possible.”
‘President Lincoln’s words reflect the courage and faith that helped America. President Lincoln’s words reflect exactly how Ukrainians fight.
Zelensky met with Joe Biden at the White House in Washington DC, USA (Picture: Getty Images)
‘In our victorious battles for Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Snake Island in the Black Sea.
‘In our battle for Bakhmut, where our soldiers are pressing forward, no matter what. In our fight for every inch of Ukrainian land.
‘Every day of this war, Ukrainian soldiers hold on with the grip of a bulldog.
‘They chew and choke the Russian occupiers as much as possible.’
Quoting Abraham Lincoln, Zelensky said: ‘Every day of this war, Ukrainian soldiers hold on with the grip of a bulldog. They chew and choke the Russian occupiers as much as possible.’ (Photo by Hulton/Archive/Getty Images)
During his earlier meeting at the White House, Mr Biden offered up a fresh military aid package worth £244m including weapons and air defences.
Mr Zelensky, dressed in long-sleeve military gear, sought to shore up more support from the US during his whirlwind visit to the Capitol.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed Mr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, where Mr Zelensky described thanking members of Congress for their ‘big, huge support’.
‘The American people are determined to see to it that we do all we can to ensure the world stands with you,’ Mr Biden assured Mr Zelensky, projecting White House support of Ukraine to other nations as well.
‘That is our overwhelming objective.’
Upon arrival, Zelensky was treated with similar pomp at the White House to his previous visit last year.
He was given a red carpet arrival on the South Lawn, followed by time in the Oval Office, an expanded gathering in the East Room and one-on-one time for the two first ladies, was a grander reception than world leaders typically get.
The Ukrainians have a solid war plan, and ‘they are winning’, lawmakers quoted him as assuring them, at a time that the world is watching Western support for Kyiv.
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