President Zelensky Visits United Kingdom Since the War Invasion

VIVA – President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, visited the United Kingdom (UK) on Wednesday. He has a special meeting between King Charles and British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. Buckingham palace warmly welcomed the Ukrainian President.

In his speech at Westminster Hall ahead of the meeting, Zelensky said, "Today I have the honor to be received by His Majesty the King. This will be a very special moment for me, for our country," he said, according to the BBC.

He continued, "In particular because I will convey to him from all Ukrainians words of gratitude for the support shown to them by His Majesty when he was the Prince of Wales. I also intend to tell him something that I think is very, very, very important, not only for the future of Ukraine but also for the future of Europe. In England, the King is an air force pilot and in Ukraine today, every air force pilot is a king."

This was the first time Zelensky and King Charles had met and were Zelensky's first visit to the UK since the Russian-Ukrainian war invasion.

When Zelensky arrived at the Palace, Charles told him, "We've all been worrying about you and thinking about your country for so long, I can't tell you." During their meeting, in the 1844 room, the two drank tea and discussed the conflict in Ukraine.

Although Charles had never met Zelensky in person before today, the new British monarch has been open about his support for Ukraine since the war broke out.

During his visit, Zelensky also met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The two held a press conference on Wednesday evening as Zelensky continued his historic visit to the UK.

Zelensky and Sunak arrived by helicopter at Camp Lulworth on the last leg of the Ukrainian leader's surprise visit to the UK.

The leaders answered questions from journalists after meeting with Ukrainian troops trained by the British Army at a base in Dorset. Sunak told a joint press conference that British Challenger 2 tanks will be operational in Ukraine next month. He said the advanced weapon will soon make a difference on the Ukrainian battlefield. Zelensky also said Kyiv's relationship with the UK had reached a "new level". "It is very clear that we stand together with Great Britain," he said.