Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States of America visited Ukraine on Sunday. The surprise visit on Mother’s Day was to show solidarity with the people including the women in Ukraine who are suffering as a result of Russia’s war with the country. President Zelensky’s wife appreciated the visit by Dr. Biden. This is a rare occurrence that a sitting president of the nation’s wife has visited a war zone. Laura Bush, a former first lady, had also visited active war zones in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Jill Biden crossed the border from Slovakia. She had met with refugees at a processing center at the Vysne Nemecke border. After reaching Ukraine, she met the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. She had not been seen in public since her country was invaded on February 24.

Before the start of a closed-door meeting between the two first ladies, Biden said that she had wanted to visit Ukraine on Mother’s Day. She said that she believed that it was important to show the people of Ukraine that “this war has to stop and this war has been brutal.” She also said that the people of the United States stood with the people of Ukraine.

First lady Olena Zelenska praised first lady Jill Biden “for a very courageous act.” Speaking through an interpreter she said that they understood what it took “for the US first lady” to come to Ukraine, when it was a war zone as military actions and air sirens were “happening every day, even today.”

Earlier, other high profile visitors from the U.S. included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who led a congressional delegation to meet Zelensky in Kyiv, late April. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also visited Ukraine, two weeks before Jill Biden.

First lady Jill Biden handed over flowers to first lady Olena Zelenska. Both of them spent time with a group of children at School 6. They made tissue paper craft items that would be used as Mother’s Day gifts. First lady Jill Biden spoke to President Joe Biden after her visit.

President Justin Trudeau of Canada also visited Ukraine on Sunday to reaffirm his country’s support for the people of Ukraine and met president Zelensky. On Sunday, Irish band U2 also performed at a Kyiv subway station that is serving as a bomb shelter. Lead singer Bono praised the Ukrainians for fighting for their freedom and offered a prayer of peace.