First lady Jill Biden made an unannounced trip to Ukraine on Sunday and met with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, who has not been seen in public since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mrs. Biden visited the small city of Uzhhorod in the far southwestern corner of the country where she met first lady Zelenska at a converted school that now serves as temporary housing for displaced citizens, according to CNN.
“The stop came as the first lady was traveling to Romania and Slovakia for a high-profile diplomatic trip to reaffirm the US’ commitment to Ukraine more than two months after Russia’s invasion,” the news network reported.
The U.S. first lady also met with Ukrainian mothers who have been displaced amid the conflict, and she spent time with Ukrainian refugees in Romania.
After visiting with Ukrainian women and children at a school in Romania on Saturday, Mrs. Biden said she felt a sense of hope.
“I felt like there was hope in that there were some answers coming forward, and they felt that there was some structure to their lives and they were getting supplies,” the first lady told reporters.
Jill Biden is the latest high-profile American and the first family member of President Joe Biden to visit the war-torn country in recent weeks.