Volodymyr Zelensky has met King Charles III at Sandringham, after attending a summit of European leaders on ending the struggle in Ukraine.
Because the Ukrainian president arrived on the King’s Norfolk residence, native residents, some holding Ukraine flags, gathered outdoors the property to witness his entrance by helicopter.
Zelensky was in London over the weekend for the talks on European defence, after a fiery exchange with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Friday.
Ukraine’s president was “warmly acquired”, and the assembly lasted just below an hour, royal sources mentioned. The pair had been served tea in Sandringham’s Saloon room.
The King has previously expressed support for Zelensky and Ukraine, saying the nation had skilled “indescribable aggression” following Russia’s “unprovoked assault on their land”.
The Ukrainian folks have proven “really exceptional braveness and resilience within the face of such human tragedy”, the King mentioned final 12 months.
They first met at Buckingham Palace throughout Zelensky’s shock go to to the UK in 2023.
In the present day’s assembly was requested by the Ukrainian president, with the settlement of the UK authorities.
After the summit had concluded, Sir Keir unveiled a four-step plan world leaders hope will assure peace in Ukraine.
These steps embrace maintaining army help flowing and the creation of a “coalition of the prepared” to defend Ukraine as a part of a peace settlement.
Sunday’s assembly in Norfolk has allowed Zelensky to fulfill the King properly earlier than Trump’s second state go to to the UK, which was supplied when Sir Keir presented the US president with an invitation letter from the monarch during a visit to Washington last week.
Whereas the Ukrainian chief’s go to is an official one, it’s much less formal than a state go to.
Historically, second-term US presidents will not be supplied a state go to and have as a substitute been invited for tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Citadel.
Sir Keir mentioned Trump’s final state go to in 2019 had been a “great success” and that the invite for a second go to was “really historic” and “unprecedented”.
Chatting with reporters within the Oval Workplace after studying the letter, Trump mentioned he accepted the invite and that it will be an “honour” to go to the “implausible” nation. When the journey will happen has but to be introduced.
Sir Keir dismissed calls by SNP first minister John Swinney to cancel the invite to Trump after his disastrous Oval Workplace assembly with Zelensky – wherein he accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War Three”.
A “Cease Trump” on-line petition has amassed greater than 85,000 signatures because it launched on 28 February.
