WATCH: American aid to Ukraine 'is not charity,’ Zelenskyy tells Congress

U.S. financial aid to Ukraine is not “charity,” but was instead an investment in democracy and security, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday.

“Your money is not charity. It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president thanked Congress for the aid given so far, calling it “critically important” for the country’s defense against the Russian invasion which began 10 months ago and is ongoing.

Zelenskyy arrived at the joint meeting to a standing ovation. Earlier in the day he met with President Joe Biden and held a news briefing.

This is the first time Zelenskyy has left Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February, devastating the country’s infrastructure and resulting in millions of refugees.

The United States and other allies have provided billions in dollars in military support and humanitarian aid, most recently a Patriot surface-to-air missile system and about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine.

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