First Lady Pool Reports of May 8, 2022

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #1: Departure to Kosice

Good morning from Bratislava.

The motorcade departed the RON at 7:04 a.m.en route to the airport.

Motorcade arrived at R. Stefanik Airport at 7:18.

FLOTUS exited her vehicle and boarded the plane at 7:19 before the press exited the van.

Executive One Foxtrot will be wheels up shortly.

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #2: Arrival in Kosice

Executive One Foxtrot was wheels down at Kosice Airport at 8:06 a.m.

FLOTUS walked off the plane at 8:19 and was greeted by local officials listed below.

She is wearing a corsage on her wrist that was sent by POTUS for Mother’s Day. Per the WH, it is a family tradition for the holiday.

Motorcade is rolling to a Kosice bus station where FLOTUS will observe efforts to assist refugees.

From the White House
Greeters: Governor Rastislav Trnka, Governor of Kosice Region
Mayor Jaroslav Polacek, City of Kosice

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #3: Kosice Bus Station

Motorcade arrived at the bus station at 8:41.

FLOTUS received a tour of the processing facility from local officials and met with Ukrainian refugees. Pool was, at times, positioned away from FLOTUS so it was difficult to hear at times.

One question pool heard was FLOTUS ask: "Do you have medical offices?" We did not hear the answer.

—

Co-pooler Katie Rogers from NYT was positioned near FLOTUS and very graciously shared thjs feed:

FLOTUS was taken to picnic tables to talk with two Ukrainian families. Everyone she met with told her they wanted to return home.
First, she met with an older couple and spoke with them through a translator.

"Tell me about your journey here," she asked the woman. "Did you have other members of your family come with you?"

Through a translator, the woman told FLOTUS that her husband is sick and needed hospitalization. The husband said that he would be hospitalized tomorrow and that he had already received temporary refugee status.

"And how is your health?" She asked the woman, who was on the verge of tears. "Give me your hand, give me your hand."

The woman said that she was still working part-time and hoped to return to Ukraine.

"I know it's so hard for you," the First Lady said. "This is so hard. I'm sorry."

"It's just very good that we can come here to Slovakia and people here support us … and you, too," the woman said through a translator.

"The United States supports you, too," the First Lady replied.

"Is she a mother?" the First Lady asked.

The translator said the woman is a mother of four children.

"Happy Mother's Day," the First Lady said. "Thank you for spending time with me."

She moved on to a young family, a man and a woman who were sitting with two little girls.

The man proudly showed the First Lady his forearm, which was tattooed with the names of his children. (His older son, he said through a translator, was taking a nap.)

"And what is your job?" she asked him.

His reply, through a translator, was: "I'm going to work at the factory producing some parts. After that we are going to go back home."

"You're going back to Ukraine?" she asked.

The man said, through a translator, that he had tried to stay and defend Kharkiv, but left after two months because it got dangerous.

"It maybe will not be the same but we are going to go back to Kharkiv," he said through a translator.

"I'm surprised you are going to return because of the bombings," the First Lady said to him.

A separate translator approached and added: "He wants to find a job, maybe stay in Slovakia to the war ends."

"Good luck to you," the First Lady said. "And the United States supports you. Happy Mother's Day."

—

FLOTUS then met two young women from Ukraine who were with IOM UN migration and gave an overview of the services they provide to refugees.

FLOTUS: "You're doing a wonderful job and your English is so good.

The young woman said, "I used to be an English teacher before the war."

FLOTUS responded: "I'm an English teacher!"

FLOTUS then entered the processing center where she met some volunteers, city workers and refugees.

FLOTUS had an extended exchange with a Ukrainian mother and her daughter named Viktozie Kutocha and Yulie, who is 7 years old.

Kutocha: "They come to our land. They kill us, but they say we protect you."

FLOTUS said: "It's so hard to understand."

Kutocha shared her emotional journey out of Ukraine with FLOTUS and the difficulty of explaining the war to her children. Her husband remains in Ukraine and has joined the military.

Kotucha said: "How I can explain this to child? It's impossible," she said. "I try to keep them safe. It's my mission."

FLOTUS responded: "it's senseless."

Yulie then hugged FLOTUS, who brought in her mother for a group hug.

Thanks to NBC's Mike Memoli for this otter transcript of the exchange: >https://otter.ai/u/S4tFITBCWc4TUyAap7vdLLvCuI0<

FLOTUS then moved to the cafeteria organized by World Central Kitchen and pool was pulled at 9:34.

Background from White House:

The First Lady will visit the Kosice bus station to observe Government of Slovakia, City of Kosice, United Nations (UN), and nongovernmental organizations' (NGOs) services for refugees as they rest and prepare for onward travel. She will talk with refugees and engage with local officials and workers from UN agencies and NGOs.

Greeters: Dr. Roman Dohovic, Plenipotentiary of the City of Kosice for Humanitarian Aid to Refugees from Ukraine

The Kosice center is one of six refugee centers in Slovakia (Bratislava, Nitra, Zilina, Kosice, Michalovce, Humenne). The city of Kosice runs the site, manages the registration, provides information, facilitates housing and transportation, oversees the premises and the supplies, and provides food in cooperation with World Central Kitchen. Currently, on average, the center serves 300–350 people per day. The vast majority of arriving refugees transit through Kosice and move onward to other countries or other Slovak cities. It is a 24-hour facility, offers a variety of services, supplies, and information for refugees arriving from Ukraine, to include:

• Emergency accommodation onsite (for 1-2 nights)
• Short-term accommodation in the city (facilitated by the center)
• Warm meals for lunch (served by World Central Kitchen daily); soup, sandwiches, snacks, baby food, water/drinks are available all day;
• A waiting room with a TV, a phone charging station, and toys
• Showers
• Clothing and personal hygiene items
• Free SIM cards
• Transportation, to include a shuttle bus for larger groups or individual "taxis"
• Practical information and legal assistance (International Organization for Migration)
• Medical aid (Red Cross)
• Psychological assistance, counselling (IPcko) and
• Other assistance, as needed (UNHCR or the city).

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #4: Kosice school visit

FLOTUS arrived at the Tomasikova Street School where she met the principal and teachers. Names are listed below.

Upon arrival, FLOTUS dipped bread in salt, which is a Slovak welcome tradition, and then she ate it. Students then performed a song.

The students were making art projects for Mother's Day and one child ran over to give FLOTUS something he made. The artwork include a cat on it and FLOTUS said: "I have a cat!"

FLOTUS then went table to table around the classroom to meet the children and their mothers. Pool was positioned at the back of the room and could not hear some of the conversations. The pool camera was positioned closer to FLOTUS so they picked up more audio.

As she wished a table of mothers a happy Mother's Day, FLOTUS said: "The hearts of the American people are with the mothers of Ukraine."

FLOTUS asked the mothers if they feel like they have support here. Through a translator, a woman said: "We have the support of Slovakia. Slovakia helped us a lot."

FLOTUS also asked if the women have jobs here and was told most of them do not yet.

FLOTUS then asked the press if we had any questions for the women.

Reporters asked what the mothers tell their children about what's happening.

Through a translator, one woman said: "They need to understand why we are here and why we receive help - why are we separated from our husbands. They need to understand what is going on."

When asked how often they speak to their husbands, pool was told "every day" using video conference usually at night.

Pool also asked what it meant to have FLOTUS here:

"It means support for us," one woman said through a translator. "We are very tired. This is emotional support for us."

FLOTUS then posed for a group photo with the mothers, children and teachers. A little girl blew FLOTUS after the photo.

Pool was ushered out of the school at 10:25

Motorcade will be rolling to the border crossing shortly. It is expected to be a 90-minute drive.

One clarification on spelling from last pool report. The Ukrainian mother who had an emotional encounter with FLOTUS pronounced her name as Victoria.

Background from the White House:

Greeters: Renata Obsatnikova, School Principal
Martina Zavodnikova, English Teacher
Beata Lopušniaková, Kosice City Head of Education
Lucia Gurbáľová, Vice Mayor of Kosice

The First Lady will visit with Slovak and Ukrainian mothers and their children as the families participate in a Mother's Day activity, with Slovak and Ukrainian mothers and their children, along with local civil society and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) serving refugees. This public school serves grades 1-9 (ages 6-15) and is run by the city of Kosice. It serves the largest number of Ukrainian families in the area, having accepted around 60 Ukrainian students. It also began offering Slovak language classes to support greater integration.

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #5: Arrival at border crossing

Motorcade arrived at a police station near the Vysne Nemecke border crossing at 12:10 local time.

Pool is holding at the station.

FLOTUS will shortly do a tour of the border crossing.

The WH passes along the tour participants

https://mcusercontent.com/693654164e35d23cf57d8c4a6/images/ded8db18-58cc-45d8-a843-ddba5e9ab7ea.png

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #6: at border crossing

FLOTUS arrived at the border crossing at 1:39 p.m. She walked up with the prime minister of Slovakia and military officials, who were briefing her.

Pool was positioned at a distance from FLOTUS so could not hear much of the conversation.

FLOTUS asked at one point: "Right now are we in Slovakia or Ukraine?"

She was told we are in Slovakia as an official pointed down the road to Ukraine.

FLOTUS was then introduced to a woman from an organization called Mareena that assists refugees. FLOTUS shook hands with some of the volunteers who work with the organization, and one of them handed her a yellow tote bag.

FLOTUS then shook hands with Slovak border patrol agents. Pool was ushered away from the border crossing at 1:53.

Background from White House:

Greeters at police station: Prime Minister Eduard Heger, Lucia Hegerova, Prime Minister Heger's Spuse, Roman Mikulec, Romanian Minister of the Interior

The First Lady will travel to the Vysne Nemecke (VEE-sh-neh NEH-mehtskeh) border crossing where Ukrainian refugees enter Slovakia and receive basic services before moving on to processing centers or transit hubs further inside the country. Humanitarian actors are also using this border crossing to transport assistance into Ukraine. The Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia – Uzhhorod, Ukraine border crossing is one of two main vehicle crossing points between the countries; the other crossing is to the northeast at Ubl'a-Malyi Bereznyi. Three other crossings are reserved for only pedestrians, bicyclists, and trains. In recent weeks border crossings are averaging less than 2,000 per day, down from over 10,000 per day immediately following Russia's further invasion of Ukraine - and a large portion of that flow is daily cross border traffic.

Dr. Biden will receive a guided tour of the border crossing's support facilities and then visit a small chapel with volunteers and first responders. Along the tour, she will thank and hear from government officials and United Nations (UN) agency and nongovernmental organization (NGO) workers about their experiences helping refugees since the Russian further invasion of Ukraine in February. Eduard Heger, Prime Minister of Slovakia; Lucia Hegerova, the Prime Minister's spouse; and Roman Mikulec, Slovakia's Minister of the Interior, will accompany the First Lady.

Tour led by:

• Robert Gucky, Director of the Border and Foreign Police Office, Presidium of the Police Force
• Colonel Jozef Oresky, Regional Border Director, Border Police
• Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Tokar, Director of Customs Office Kosice

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #7: Meeting with NGOs + chapel visit

A few hundred yards from the border crossing, FLOTUS visited tents set up by various NGOs. Your pooler was stationed too far from FLOTUS to hear her but the pool camera was brought near FLOTUS so there should be a video feed.

FLOTUS walked closer to the pool to meet with representatives from IOM UN Migration and posed for a photo with some of the volunteers.

She then met volunteers who provide psychosocial support services to refugees but pool was moved to the next staging location and was unable to hear the conversation.

FLOTUS then visited a tent operated by Slovak Catholic charities with food and other supplies for refugees. The supplies included water, diapers, teddy bears and other snacks.

FLOTUS then visited a chapel set up in a tent. Background on the chapel is below. FLOTUS took a set next to the lectern and the priest opened with a prayer.

"We pray for the people of Ukraine," the priest said.

Pool was pulled from the chapel before the prayer ended.

Background from WH:

Captain Frantisek Krusinsky, Priest from the Ordinariate of Slovak Armed Forces, will share his experience serving Ukrainian refugees at the border, and leads a prayer in Slovak and English.

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #7: FLOTUS enters Ukraine and meets first lady

Note: This pool report was under embargo until directions from the WH for security reasons.

FLOTUS' motorcade crossed the border into Ukraine at 2:41 p.m. (Slovakia time) for an unannounced visit.

The motorcade drove through Uzhhorod and arrived at a public school here called School 6. The school is now being used as temporary housing and shelter for 163 displaced Ukrainians, including 47 children. The facility is being supported by International Organization for Migration (IOM, the UN migration agency) as part of USAID, per U.S. official here.

FLOTUS exited her vehicle at 2:51 and met the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. The two women hugged and FLOTUS gave her a bouquet of flowers. This is the first time Zelenska has appeared in public since Feb. 24, the date of the Russian invasion, per U.S. official. The official also said the two first ladies have exchanged correspondences in the last few weeks.

Pool was then ushered into a small room at 2:56where FLOTUS and Zelenska were sitting at a table.

Pool asked FLOTUS what it meant to make this visit:

"I wanted to come in Mother's Day. I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian 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."

Your pooler then asked Zelenska what FLOTUS' visit meant to her. She answered in Ukrainian and the following quotes are from a translator.

"First of all, I would like to thank you for a very courageous act."

"Because we understand what it takes for the US First Lady to come here during a war when the military actions are taking place every day, where the air sirens are happening every day even today."

"We all feel your support and we all feel the leadership of the U.S. president but we would like to note that the Mother's Day is a very symbolic day for us because we also feel your love and support during such an important day."

Pool was ushered out at 2:58 and the two first ladies held a closed door bilateral meeting. Pool held outside the school building.

We were then ushered into a classroom on the ground floor where 15 internally displaced Ukrainian children were doing arts and craft.

An IOM official said the activity was both recreational and psychosocial with the hope of promoting socialization among the displaced children who are now living here, some of whom are dealing with trauma from the war.

Before the first ladies entered, security agents used hand wands on some of the small children.

The bilat lasted roughly an hour.

The first ladies entered the classroom at 3:58and sat down at a table with children working on art projects for their mothers. The children were crafting cardboard and tissue paper bears, which represent the symbol of the Zakarpattia Oblast.

Both First Ladies worked on crafting their own beer, using white and yellow tissue paper.

Pool was ushered out of the classroom at 4:12. Motorcade started rolling out of the school at 4:19.

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #8: Return to Slovakia

FLOTUS motorcade crossed the border back into Slovakia at 4:30 p.m.

Motorcade is headed back to the airport shortly.

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #9: Headed to Kosice Airport / clarifying two small typos

Motorcade is en route to Kosice Airport.

Two clarifications on typos in pool report #7:

FLOTUS said "I wanted to come ON Mother's Day."

Both First Ladies worked on crafting their own bears, using white and yellow tissue paper.

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #10: Departure from Kosice

Motorcade arrived at the airport at 5:18 and FLOTUS posed for photos and shook hands with volunteers and military officials.

FLOTUS was wearing a large pin of the Ukrainian flag when she exited her vehicle. An aide said she received it from the head of Mrs. Zelenska's security detail after she gave him one of her challenge coins.

FLOTUS boarded the plane at 5:24.

Plane is scheduled to take off shortly for Bratislava.

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #11: Arrival in Bratislava + briefing on plane

Plane landed in Bratislava at 6:23 p.m. Upon landing, FLOTUS came to the press cabin and handed out small bouquets of flowers to reporters and USSS agents who are mothers.

Motorcade is rolling to the RON.

Pool received a briefing on the flight over.

Michael LaRosa, a spokesman for the first lady, said POTUS and FLOTUS spoke on the phone in the car after her Ukraine visit.

He said the first lady initially expressed interest in going to this region in March for her spring break, but the opportunity did not become available until later.

"Mother's Day was something she thought would be special for the mothers of Ukraine," he said.

The first lady's office reached out to the State Department and the NSC, who approved the trip. Her staff then connected with DART teams in the region to plan her travel. When advance teams landed in the region about 10 days ago, they started to notify regional government officials of FLOTUS' travel plans. At that point, LaRosa said, the Ukrainians offered to arrange a visit with Mrs. Zelenska.

LaRosa said FLOTUS always planned to visit the school in Ukraine, and the meeting with Mrs. Zelenska was confirmed in the last few days.

LaRosa clarified that the bilateral was roughly 30 minutes, and it was followed by visits to other classrooms with internally displaced people.
In the bilat, LaRosa said Mrs. Zelenska expressed that her biggest concern right now is the mental health of the children, soldiers and other Ukrainians.

More color on the correspondence: The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. gave FLOTUS a letter from Mrs. Zelenska at the State of the Union. The ambassador was one of FLOTUS' guests. Mrs. Zelenska sent another letter to FLOTUS in April expressing concerns about the toll of the war having on the mental health of children, soldiers and families.

On the trip planning, LaRosa said they chose Slovakia and Romania at the advice and suggestion of State Department/ NSC.

A U.S. official, who joined LaRosa in the briefing, said the purpose of the trip to the region was to show U.S. support to Ukraine and to NATO allies.

When asked about the conversation between FLOTUS and Mrs. Zelenska, LaRosa said FLOTUS asked her how she was doing as a mother and handling the war. Mrs. Zelenska said she was grateful she "is able to hold her children's hands every night even though she can't be with her husband."

FLOTUS 5/8 Travel Pool Report #12: RON

FLOTUS’ motorcade arrived at the RON at 6:49 p.m. Have a good day and see you tomorrow