U.S. first lady Jill Biden praised the Romanian government and relief organizations for their work in helping refugees fleeing the Russian invasion in neighboring Ukraine, calling the efforts “amazing.”
Biden, the wife of U.S. President Joe Biden, spoke at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest on May 7, one day after arriving in the country on an official visit to visit U.S. troops and meet with Romanian leaders.
Nearly 860,000 Ukrainians have fled to, or passed through, Romania, escaping the war, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Around 7,000 Ukrainians cross the border and arrive in Romania daily, said Pablo Zapata, the Romanian representative for the UN agency.
“It’s amazing. It’s solidarity here in Romania that you’re all working together,” Biden was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. “I think this is really, unfortunately, just the beginning. Just the beginning.”
“The Romanian people are amazing, to welcome all these refugees into their homes and offer them food and clothing and shelter and give them their hearts,” she said. “I think the world knows that.”
Later, Biden met with Romania’s first lady, Carmen Iohannis, and President Klaus Iohannis.
Biden is on a four-day trip to Romania and Slovakia — both NATO allies — that was designed to showcase U.S. support for Ukrainian refugees.
Earlier, Biden traveled to the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta, to meet with U.S. troops there.