U.S. First Lady Jill Biden visited Ukraine on Sunday for a brief surprise visit, her spokeswoman said, and met with her Ukrainian counterpart Olena Zelenska at a school near the Slovakian border.
I want to go on Mother’s Day. I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war needs to stopshe told reporters, saying that the americans stand with the ukrainians.
Jill Biden was in Slovakia this week, including meeting with Ukrainian refugee families, and her entry into Ukraine was kept secret until the last moment.
Jill Biden and Olena Zelenska embraced and the first lady of the United States gave a bouquet of flowers to the wife of the Ukrainian president.
This is the first time Ms. Zelenska has been in public since the fighting began on Feb. 24, an American official said. According to the same source, the two women exchanged letters in recent weeks.
I want to go on Mother’s Daysaid Ms. Biden told reporters who attended the beginning of the meeting in a small classroom of a school that had been turned into a reception center for refugees.
I thought it was important to show the people of Ukraine that this war must stop, that this war is brutal, and that the people of the United States stand up for the people of Ukraine.he continued.
Ms. Zelenska replied in Ukrainian, her statements were translated by an interpreter.
First of all, I want to thank you for a very courageous actiondid he say.
Because we understand what it takes for the first lady of the United States to get here during the war where military operations take place every day, where air-raid sirens sound every day, even today.added Olena Zelenska.
We all feel your support and we all feel the leadership of the US President, but we want to emphasize that Mother’s Day is a very symbolic day for us, because we also feel your love and support on an important day.he added.
A closed-door meeting of the two women lasted about an hour, before they met the young refugees working on the cut-out papers, accompanied by their mothers.
In her interview with Jill Biden, Olena Zelenska said she was happy who could hold the hands of her children every night, even when she could not be with her husband, reported a spokesperson for Ms. Biden, Michael LaRosa. Si Ms. Zelenska and President Volodymyr Zelensky have a 17 -year -old daughter and a 9 -year -old son.
Olena Zelenska also said she was extremely concerned about the issue of the mental health of children, soldiers and other Ukrainians, the spokesperson said.
After the meeting, Ms. left. Biden towards the Slovakian border.
More than 400,000 Ukrainians have entered Slovakia since the war began, according to Interior Ministry figures. Most left for other countries, but about 74,000 of them remained in this former Soviet republic.
As the previous day in Romania, the first lady of the United States assured the refugees that she recognized the support of her country and found out that most of them wanted to go home as soon as possible.
On Monday, the last day of her tour, Ms. Biden is scheduled to meet with senior Slovak officials.
Source: Radio-Canada
