Prince William showed his support for war-torn Ukraine on Wednesday with an unannounced trip to neighboring Poland, where he met members of the British and Polish militaries.
William visited the capital city of Warsaw, as well as Rzeszow, a city near the border with Ukraine who has housed Ukrainian refugees and helped deliver aid packages to the country.
“I am here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops who are working in close and crucial partnership.” William said in a statement., according to CNN. “I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as well as your homes.
“That is why this afternoon I visited Rzeszow to listen to their stories and recognize their duty,” he added. “I was impressed by his passion and their shared determination to defend our shared freedoms.”
William, a former Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force pilot, plans to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainians living in Poland on Thursday.
Britain, where William, 40, is next in line to the throne, has sent more than $2.8 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country 13 months ago.
William’s visit comes a month after President Biden made a surprise stop in Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ahead of a scheduled trip to Poland.
“One year later, kyiv stands,” Biden said during the trip to Ukraine, which took place days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. “And Ukraine is on its feet. Democracy remains. The Americans are with you and the world is with you.”
with cable news services
