Jill Biden to meet with Ukraine’s first lady at White House

First lady Jill Biden will meet with Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, at the White House on Tuesday as part of a broader trip by Zelenska to Washington that also includes an in-person address to Congress.  

The White House released guidance on Monday evening saying that Biden would welcome Zelenska on the South Lawn and that the two would participate in a bilateral meeting on Tuesday afternoon. 

It’s not the first time the two have met. Biden made a surprise trip to Ukraine in May for Mother’s Day that included a meeting with Zelenska.  

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced earlier on Monday that Zelenska would address Congress on Wednesday from the congressional auditorium in the Capitol Visitor Center.  

Her appearance in person will be significant, coming roughly four months after her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, delivered an emotional appeal to Congress in virtual remarks.  

Zelenska met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that Blinken underscored the U.S. commitment to helping Ukraine recover from the ongoing Russian invasion and commended Zelenska’s “work to support the many Ukrainian civilians who have been, in different ways, impacted by this brutal war.”  

Zelenska’s trip outside the country comes as Russian forces continue to wage a bloody military campaign focused on Ukraine’s east.  

Zelenska was largely out of public sight at the beginning of the war, going into hiding with the couple’s 17-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, but she has become more of a public face in recent months, particularly following the meeting with Biden.