US First Lady Jill Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine

On Sunday, U.S. first lady Jill Biden

made a surprise visit to western Ukraine and held a Mother's Day meeting with the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. Jill Biden secretively traveled to the war-affected Ukraine. She became the latest significant American to visit Ukraine during its 10-week-old conflict with Moscow.

The First lady of the United States told Zelenskky,

"I wanted to come on Mother's Day. 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." Jill Biden spent about two hours in Ukraine.

The two sat together in a small classroom, talking before reporters before they met in private. Zelenskyy and her children have been at a secret location because of safety issues. Zelenskyy thanked Biden for her "courageous act" and said, "We understand what it takes for the U.S. first lady to come here during a war when military actions are taking place every day, where the air sirens are happening every day -- even today."

The school where they met has been turned into transitional housing for Ukrainian migrants from elsewhere in the country.