Prince William Visits Poland to Personally Thank Troops Supporting Ukraine
Members of the royal family have shown their support for Ukraine many times through visits within the UK meeting those affected by the war. And today, Prince William went further with an overseas trip to Poland thank troops and highlight the work being done there to support Ukrainian refugees since Putin began his invasion.
“I’m here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership,” the Prince said in a statement upon landing in Warsaw earlier today. “I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes.”
The two-day visit has only just been publicized by Kensington Palace because of tight security. The Prince first stopped in Rzeszow where he heard about the support that British and Polish military personnel have been providing to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. There, he met the Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. Then he visited a British army base in the area to meet personnel. In a statement he described how he was “struck by their passion as well as their shared determination to defend our shared freedoms.”
His itinerary over the next 24 hours includes a trip to a centre currently housing about 300 Ukrainian women and children as well as a visit to a food hall in Warsaw to speak with young refugees who have fled Ukraine and settled in Warsaw. He is also scheduled to travel to the Presidential Palace for a meeting with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, where Kensington Palace said he will “express his thanks to the Polish people for their ongoing generosity and hospitality in these turbulent times.”
In November, Kate met with displaced Ukrainian families at a center in Reading, southeast England and Kensington Palace shared that the Royal Foundation will provide advice and support for First Lady Olena Zelenska’s mental health strategy. The royals have also made donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, and voiced their support for Ukraine on social media. Last March, Prince Charles described Putin's invasion of the country as “brutal aggression.” At around the same time, Queen Elizabeth was photographed at Windsor Castle in front of a huge display of flowers in the blue and yellow of Ukraine’s national flag.
You Might Also Like
