The Duke of Sussex, who is making the latest in a series of visits to the war-hit country, will focus on work being done to help veterans and the wounded
Credit: Good Morning Britain/Youtube
NEED TO KNOW
- Prince Harry arrived in Ukraine early on Thursday, April 23 for an unannounced visit
- The Duke of Sussex, who was wearing a jacket with his Invictus Games logo on it, is focusing on supporting work being done to help the wounded and injured during his visit to the war-hit country
- He said as he arrived that he wanted to remind people “around the world what Ukraine is up against”
Prince Harry is making a surprise visit to Ukraine.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, arrived in the capital Kyiv early on Thursday, April 23. During his visit, he's set to highlight the work of those helping the injured and veterans of the war, as well as giving a speech to a special security conference.
The first images showed him stepping off a train and greeting people at the station.
Wearing a jacket with his Invictus Games logo on it, Harry told ITV News, which is accompanying him on his visit, that he wanted “to remind people back home and around the world what Ukraine is up against and to support the people and partners doing extraordinary work every hour of every day in incredibly tough conditions.”
ITV News reported that the Duke of Sussex's message for Ukrainians was that “the world sees you and respects you." He called it “a country bravely and successfully defending Europe’s eastern flank” and said “it matters that we don’t lose sight of the significance of that.”
The outlet added that at a speech later in the morning, Harry will draw on his experience of 10 years in the British army, including two tours of Afghanistan, to talk about how the impact of the war in Ukraine will last “for years to come." His Invictus Games Foundation, which is active in the country, addresses that impact, helping wounded, injured and sick veterans and armed forces members in their recovery.
As well as highlighting the work of the Foundation and those it works with in Ukraine, the prince is expected to support the landmine clearing charity, The HALO Trust, while he is in the country. Harry has been a longtime supporter of The HALO Trust like his late mother, Princess Diana, who drew global attention to the call for an international landmine ban when she walked through an active minefield in Angola in 1997 with the organization.
Credit: Eduard Kryzhanivskyi/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine/Global Images Ukraine via Getty
Thursday's visit is the latest in a series of trips that Harry has made to the country. In September, during another unannounced visit — which was his second of the year — the Duke of Sussex spent a day in Kyiv with his Invictus Games Foundation, which runs his Paralympic-style competition for veterans and armed forces members, after being invited by the Ukraine government.
At the time, he told The Guardian, “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process.”
Credit: Ukrzaliznytsia/Instagram
Harry added to the outlet: “We can continue to humanize the people involved in this war and what they are going through. We have to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds. I hope this trip will help to bring it home to people because it’s easy to become desensitized to what has been going on.”
In February, the prince also made a video call to The HALO Trust, and their workers in the country for their bravery in an emotional moment shared by the charity. The HALO Trust posted a clip to YouTube of the Duke of Sussex's call to Olesia and Maryna, who are working with the organization on the ground in Ukraine.
Harry told them, "I mean, you guys are saving lives every single day. I know you're part of HALO, so that's exactly what you signed up to do, and I know that you're going to continue doing the work that is so desperately needed for HALO, for your families and your country."
Credit: Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva/Shutterstock
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The Duke of Sussex asked how people can help, noting that many feel "completely helpless" watching on. "Spreading the safety messages will help. The more people see them, the more people stay safe. You can donate to help our organization as well," one of the HALO Trust workers, Olesia, told him.
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