US First Lady makes unannounced visit to Ukraine, meets Ukrainian counterpart
Earlier in the day, US First Lady Jill Biden had celebrated Mother’s Day in Slovakia, interacting with the Ukrainian mothers displaced due to the war. She assured them that the ‘hearts of American people’ are with them.
US First Lady Jill Biden on Sunday made an unannounced visit to Ukraine to show support to the war-torn country in its fight against Russia, Reuters reported. She also met her Ukrainian counterpart Olena Zelenska.
“I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine,” she said.
Earlier in the day, US First Lady had celebrated Mother’s Day in Slovakia, interacting with the Ukrainian mothers displaced due to the war. She assured them that the ‘hearts of American people’ are with them.
“I wanted to come on Mother’s Day,” the U.S. first lady told Zelenska. “I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine.”
Biden spent about two hours in Ukraine, traveling by vehicle to the town of Uzhhorod, about a 10-minute drive from a Slovakian village that she toured on the border.
The two first ladies came together in a small classroom, sitting across a table from one another and greeting each other in front of reporters before they met in private. Zelenska and her children have been at an undisclosed location for their safety.
The visit allowed Biden to conduct the kind of personal diplomacy that her husband would like to be doing himself.
President Joe Biden said during his visit to Poland in March that he was disappointed he could not visit Ukraine to see conditions “firsthand” but that he was not allowed, likely due to security reasons. The White House said as recently as last week that the president “would love to visit” but there were no plans for him to do so at this time.
(With inputs from AP)
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Ukraine crisis: Sifting the facts from diplomatic fictions after 75 days of war
Washington: As G7 countries ramped up sanctions against Russia on Sunday, and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to address the nation on Victory Day on Monday, the war in Ukraine is at an inflection point — and the gap between the fiction that marks diplomatic statements and facts on the ground has never been starker. This also means that the risks of escalation today are possibly much higher than at any point in the war.
-
G7 holds call with Zelensky as US sanctions Russia
A day before Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to give a major address on Russia’s Victory day amid the war in Ukraine, leaders of G7 countries on Sunday held virtual talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and commemorated the 77th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, as the US ramped up sanctions against Russia for the invasion of its neighbour.
-
Watch: On Mother’s Day, White House’s tribute to moms, starring President Biden
On the occasion of Mother’s Day, the White House on Sunday paid tributes to all mothers, urging Americans to take cure from President Joe Biden and call their moms. On its Twitter handle, the White House uploaded a video of Biden calling up mothers of various people meeting him; in some cases, guests themselves call up their mothers to introduce them to the US President.
-
Ukraine war: US imposes visa restrictions on Russian military officers| 5 points
With the Ukraine war continuously on since the past 74 days, there is no sign of peace. Day before it marks the victory of Soviet Union over the Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Russia has intensified its attack in the neighbouring country. Here are the top developments unfolding in warzone Ukraine on the 74th day. US First Lady Jill Biden’s unannounced visit to Ukraine was the highlight of the day.
-
G7 leaders pledge to cease Russian oil import, impose further economic isolation
The Group of Seven (G7) leaders in a joint statement said on Sunday that they will impose further economic isolation on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The G7 leaders said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “unprovoked war of aggression” in Ukraine has brought “shame” on his country and the “historic sacrifices of its people”. The leaders said they remain “united” in their resolve that Putin “must not win his war against Ukraine”.
