In a landmark virtual address to the US Congress, President Volodymyr Zelensky invoked Pearl Harbor, the 9/11 attacks and Martin Luther King Jr as he showed a video of the destruction of his cities as a result of Russian attacks carried on for three weeks now.

Zelensky demanded that the United States and its NATO allies should impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, so that "Russia would not be able to terrorize our free cities".

Switching to English, Zelensky addressed US President Joe Biden directly saying: "I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace."

His speech received standing ovations from the members of Congress, much like Zelensky's prior addresses to the UK and EU parliaments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, denounced the West's programs against Russia and its sanctions "blitzkrieg", which he said had failed.