First lady Jill Biden traveled to the Ukraine’s border with Slovakia on Sunday as part of her trip to Europe.
The first lady visited the Vysne Nemecke border crossing, which is where Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion have entered Slovakia, according to the White House, which added that refugees have received basic services at the crossing before traveling to processing centers or transit hubs located further into Slovakia.
The border crossing is one of two main transportation points between Ukraine and Slovakia, administration officials noted. Humanitarian actors are also utilizing the area.
Biden then visited a tent providing food and supplies for refugees before stopping by a chapel with volunteers and first responders.
“We pray for the people of Ukraine,” the priest at the chapel said.
Biden’s visit to the Ukrainian border is part of a trip to Eastern Europe that has already taken her to Romania. The first lady arrived in Romania on Friday, kicking off the four-day trip.
The visit comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is progressing through its third month.
Biden has met with Ukrainian mothers who have been displaced amid the conflict, and she spent time with Ukrainian refugees in Romania. More than 5.8 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the conflict began on Feb. 24, according to the United Nations, with the majority of them fleeing to Poland.
After visiting with Ukrainian women and children at a school in Romania on Saturday, 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.
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“They all realize how much money the United States has been giving to Ukraine and to the refugee situation and to Romania to support the refugees … I thought that was really important,” she added.
She visited the school with Romania’s first lady Carmen Iohannis, who is also a teacher.
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