Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet King Charles during his official visit to the United Kingdom, as confirmed by sources from the PA news agency.
The meeting is scheduled for Sunday, coinciding with a key defence summit in London, hosted by Sir Keir Starmer and attended by European leaders.
According to reports from The Sun, the meeting will take place at Sandringham.
This will be the second time the two leaders meet, following Zelensky’s surprise visit to the UK in February 2023. During that encounter, the King expressed his concern, stating, “we’ve all been worried about you and thinking about your country for so long”
At that time, Zelensky addressed Parliament, thanking the UK for its unwavering support, and concluded his speech with the words, “God bless Great Britain and long live the King.”
Further reinforcing their relationship, the pair also shook hands and held a private summit at the European Political Community summit in Oxfordshire in July 2024.
Their upcoming meeting comes after Zelensky’s highly publicised disagreement with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the White House’s Oval Office on Friday.
In a dramatic turn, a day earlier, King Charles had invited Trump to the UK for an extraordinary second state visit.
The Prime Minister delivered a letter from the King to Trump on Thursday, ahead of crucial talks in Washington.
The US president, displaying the letter to cameras, showed the personal invitation from Charles, which included the King’s signature.
The letter, marked “private and confidential,” suggested that the two leaders could meet prior to the state visit at Dumfries House or Balmoral, both of which are located near Trump’s Scottish golf courses.
The King proposed that these locations might be of interest to Trump, highlighting Dumfries House’s hospitality training programme for young people, many of whom end up working in prestigious establishments like Trump’s.
In a separate development, Trump made a contentious remark, accusing Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three” during a fiery exchange on Friday, which was broadcast worldwide.
