President Joe Biden joined first lady Jill Biden in welcoming Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska to the White House on Tuesday, two months after the two women met in Ukraine.
The president carried a bouquet of yellow, sunflowers, blue hydrangeas, and white orchids that he gave to Zelenska. Blue and yellow are the national colors of Ukraine.
Jill Biden hugged her Ukrainian counterpart. Zelenska is on a tour of Washington D.C., to bring attention to Ukrainian humanitarian issues and was not accompanied by her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She met with Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Monday and will address members of Congress on Wednesday.
Ukraine's Ambassador escorted Zelenska to the U.S. Oksana Markarova. The four posed for a photo before going inside. Biden put his arm around Zelenska to accompany her inside the White House.
Zelenska is making a private visit to Washington D.C. to highlight the human cost of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
When the two first ladies met, Jill Biden referenced their Mother's Day meeting when she made a surprise visit to Ukraine during a trip to Eastern Europe.
'One of the things that I said when I came back was you cannot go into a war zone and come back and not feel the sorrow and pain,' she said.
During their meeting, the two first ladies 'will discuss the United States’ continued support for the government of Ukraine and its people as they defend their democracy and cope with the significant human impacts of Russia’s war, which will be felt for years to come,' the East Wing said in a statement on the meeting.
Jill Biden hosted an extended bilat session featuring Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Isobel Coleman, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Toria Nuland, and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
The topic was mental health.
"She introduced me to many refugees, mothers, and children, and we spent some time with them. So, I know you're here with us, again, to talk about mental health issues. So I went back and talked to my team - I think you received my message about what we are doing to help with the mental health of mothers and children who have suffered such tragedies and atrocities.
Olena Zelenska's visit to the United States comes as the Russian invasion enters its sixth month. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken assured Zelenska of the United States' commitment to Ukraine when he met with her on Monday. Blinken also commended her for her work with civilians dealing with trauma and other damage from the war. Zelenska also met Monday with Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Power's agency has given billions of dollars to support Ukraine's government and to humanitarian needs, and is working to ease a global food shortage aggravated by Russia's war.