Ukraine's First Lady to Address Congress

Four months after her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, made an emotional plea to Congress in a speech delivered remotely, Olena Zelenska will present an address of her own in Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited all members of Congress to the speech Wednesday in the congressional auditorium of the Capitol Visitor Center, the Hill reports. Zelenska's visit to Washington began with a meeting Monday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Her route to the State Department, along Pennsylvania Avenue, was lined with blue and yellow Ukrainian flags as well as American ones, per the AP.

On Tuesday, Zelenska will meet with Jill Biden, the White House said Monday evening, per the Hill. The two first ladies met in May during an unannounced visit to Ukraine by Jill Biden. A US spokesman said Monday that in the State Department meeting, Blinken emphasized the nation's commitment to assisting Ukraine's recovery from the Russian invasion. He praised her "work to support the many Ukrainian civilians who have been, in different ways, impacted by this brutal war," the spokesman said. The visit apparently will be light on pomp and photos ops, as Zelenska is not acting as an official representative of the Ukrainian government. (More Ukraine stories.)