Jill Biden has made a surprise trip to Ukraine on US Mothers’ Day as an act of solidarity with the country. This trip was a closely guarded secret, and was only revealed when Biden landed in the country. Biden said that she thought “It was important to show the Ukranian 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.” This comes as Russia wages its slow war.
Jill Biden
Biden’s surprise visit follows Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit last week. Biden’s visit has been limited to the safer western parts of Ukraine, but still shows tremendous courage as air raid sirens continue to go off in the region.
Jill Biden has considerable experience of this form of personal diplomacy, having acted as second lady between 2009 and 2017, whilst Joe Biden was the Vice President. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and a Doctorate in education from the University of Delaware. During her time as First Lady, Biden has continued to teach at a Washington School on top of her regular activities as First Lady. Biden has also been the public face of proposed legislation that would provide free tuition to students attending community colleges – highlighting her commitment to education.
