The Duchess of Edinburgh said she was ‘touched’ by the warm reception from Ukrainian President Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska during her recent trip to the war-torn country.
Sophie, 59, became the first British royal to visit Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion last month, and said she was moved by the couple’s concern for the King’s health.
The royal added that she gave Zelensky a letter from her brother-in-law, who is currently being treated for cancer.
The mother-of-two, who often does work behind the scenes in helping young women and girls, travelled as a champion of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.
In conversation with The Times, Sophie praised Olena for adopting a leadership role following Russia’s invasion.
‘She has done all this with grace and determination, championing all Ukrainians affected by this conflict,’ she said.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh said President Zelensky ‘beamed’ as he came to greet her in Ukraine in April
The Duchess praised Olena Zelenska for her ‘grace and determination’ following Russian’s invasion
Sophie sat down with Olena at the president’s palace to discuss the importance of access to survivor centres as well as the training of prosecutors in ensuring justice.
Despite the intense circumstances that the country is currently navigating, a ‘beaming’ President Zelensky ensured he took the time to greet Sophie.
She added: ‘He also inquired after the King’s health, which gave me the opportunity to hand him a letter from His Majesty. I think he was quite touched and said he would save it for a private moment later to read.’
The royal, who has pledged to continue her mission to highlight conflict-related sexual violence, rejected claims that she is courageous for her visit to war-torn Ukraine.
Instead, for Sophie, the brave are those who have endured and survived the brutalities.
‘I am glad to have made the journey. Inevitably it was sad and emotional, and the painful stories and images, as with all my visits to places of conflict, will live with me.’
Sophie arrived in the country on the same day at least four people were killed in a barrage of Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa nearly 300 miles away.
The royal said she is pleased to have visited Ukraine and pledged to continue her mission of raising awareness of conflict-related sexual violence
In Kyiv, the duchess listened as survivors of sexual violence, both male and female, bravely shared their stories, as well as talking to female IDPs – internally displaced persons – and volunteers who help their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion.
She also met with children who have now been safely returned to Ukraine, after being forcibly separated from their families and deported by Russia as part of a sustained campaign to erase Ukrainian culture.
And she paid her respects to those who lost their lives in Bucha, two years on from its liberation from Russian forces, and visited the ‘Road to Life’, a bridge which became a key part of the Ukrainian resistance when it was blown up to stop Russian troops proceeding to Kyiv and later became a vital route for people to flee to safety from the Russian occupation.
It is understood she was particularly keen to show her support for Ukrainian women who have played important roles in the conflict and community recovery and held a meeting with female volunteers who help their communities cope with the aftermath of the attacks with mental health care activities for children.
The Duchess sat with President Zelensky and Olena Zelenska in the presidential palace to discuss the importance of survivor centres
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, was seen smiling as she looked up at the ceiling of Saint Sophia Cathedral alongside Olena Zelenska
She also lit a candle at Saint Andrew’s Church in Bucha in memory of those who lost their lives during the brutal occupation
Meeting with President Zelensky and First Lady Zelenska, Sophie discussed how best to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and the women peacebuilders who have a vital part to play in ensuring Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction is effective and long-lasting.
Speaking at a conference in March, Her Royal Highness said: ‘Survivors here and around the world have spoken out so bravely about their experiences.
‘They are the most powerful advocates who remind us all that we must not turn our backs on the horrors of this crime, we must never forget survivors.
‘Rather, we must stand shoulder to shoulder with all survivors to secure justice and holistic redress, and ensure that this crime isn’t an accepted part of conflict.
‘Their rights and their voices must be at the heart of all our efforts to consign conflict-related sexual violence to the history books.’
The Duchess met children who had been returned to Ukraine after being forcibly separated from their families during the invasion
Sophie was greeted by children who had drawn welcoming messages for her on a flag of Ukraine
Since 2022, the UK has pledged over £4.7 billion in non-military support to Ukraine. This includes over £660 million of bilateral assistance that prioritises the needs of women and girls, for example by funding vital services for survivors of Gender Based Violence, as well as working with the Office of the Prosecutor General to put survivors at the centre of approaches to prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence crimes.
The UK is also working with international partners to hold those responsible for atrocities to account.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: ‘Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh is visiting Ukraine at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 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.
‘Her Royal Highness this morning met the President and First Lady of Ukraine and delivered a message to them on behalf of His Majesty The King.’
The timing of her visit to Ukraine coincided with a Russian barrage that killed at least four people in the port city of Odesa, nearly 300 miles to the south.
A turreted Gothic-style building owned by the Odesa Law Academy, known locally as the ‘Harry Potter Castle,’ was seen in flames after the strike on the crucial port city.
Its regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging site that 27 people were injured in a Russian missile strike on residential buildings and ‘civil infrastructure’.
He said: ‘Three women and a man were killed. According to the updated toll, 27 people were wounded, including two children… and a pregnant woman.
‘Four of the wounded are in a serious condition, doctors are fighting to save their lives.’
The Duchess was all smiles as she speaks to a young child at the Save Ukraine family centre in Irpin
The Duchess visited a memorial to the victims of the Russian occupation in the town alongside British Ambassador Martin Harris
At a press conference back in Kyiv in April, the head of NATO said the military alliance hasn’t delivered the aid promised to Ukraine in time as he stood alongside President Zelensky.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that ‘serious delays in support have meant serious consequences on the battlefield’, allowing Russia to press its advantage while Kyiv’s depleted forces wait for military supplies.
Outgunned, Ukraine’s troops have struggled to fend off Russian advances on the battlefield.
They were recently compelled to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the east, where the Kremlin’s forces have been making incremental gains, Ukraine’s army chief said Sunday.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed Monday its forces had also taken the village of Semenivka.
The Duchess gave a speech during a reception at the residence of the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine in Kyiv
She also visited the Car Cemetery in the town of Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, which was the site of a fierce battle during the early stages of the Russian invasion
‘The lack of ammunition has allowed the Russians to push forward along the front line.
‘Lack of air defence has made it possible for more Russian missiles to hit their targets, and the lack of deep strike capabilities has made it possible for the Russians to concentrate more forces,’ Stoltenberg said.
Kyiv’s Western partners have repeatedly vowed to stand with Ukraine ‘for as long as it takes.’
But vital US military help was held up for six months by political differences in Washington, and Europe’s military hardware production has not kept up with demand.
Ukraine’s own manufacturing of heavy weapons is only now starting to gain traction.
Now, Ukraine and its Western partners are racing to deploy critical new military aid that can help check the slow and costly but steady Russian advance across eastern areas, as well as thwart drone and missile attacks.
Zelensky said new Western supplies have started arriving, but slowly. ‘This process must be speeded up,’ he said at the news conference with Stoltenberg.
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