Duchess of Edinburgh Meets Zelensky During Kyiv Visit

The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Kyiv on Monday, April 29, making her the first royal to visit Ukraine since the country was invaded by Russia, the British royal family said.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska in Kyiv on Monday morning.

Zelensky thanked the duchess for her visit, and said that he was grateful for the support of the people of the UK, and particularly in regards to the UK “sheltering our refugees since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.”

The duchess visited Ukraine to “demonstrate solidarity with the women, men, and children impacted by the war, and in a continuation of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence,” a statement released by the royal family said.

The BBC reported that the duchess met survivors of sexual violence and torture. Credit: Office of the President of Ukraine via Storyful