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Olena Zelenska, Ukraine first lady, to address US Congress on Wednesday
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office announced on Monday (July 18) that Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska will deliver remarks to the US Congress this week.
Pelosi's office said in a statement that Zelenska will address lawmakers on Wednesday morning (July 20) at 11 a.m. local time in the Congressional Auditorium in the US Capitol Visitor Center. All members of the House of Representatives and the Senate are invited to attend.
The remarks come as Russia continues to push its grinding assault on Ukraine's eastern Donbass region in the hopes of seizing the eastern European nation's industrial heartland.
Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (July 18) as she began a series of high-profile appearances in Washington that will include a session with U.S. counterpart Jill Biden, the Associated Press reported.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the secretary of state assured Zelenska of the United States’ commitment to Ukraine. Blinken also commended her for her work with civilians dealing with trauma and other damage from the war.
Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska is a Ukrainian architect and screenwriter who is the First Lady of Ukraine as the wife of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During the war, Zelenskyy has won admiration from Ukrainians and Ukraine’s supporters abroad by staying put in the capital, Kyiv, after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his attack on Ukraine i n February.
In December 2019, Zelenska was included in the list of the 100 most influential Ukrainians by Focus magazine, taking 30th place.
President Zelensky fires dozens of senior officials for working against Ukraine
Over 5,000 civilians have been killed, and more than 6,500 injured, in Ukraine since Russia launched it war on Feb. 24, according to UN figures.
Over 15 million people have also been forced to flee their homes, including more than 8.4 million that have fled to other countries.
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