Volodymyr Zelensky wore his customary black outfit to meet King Charles at Sandringham, two days after a vicious Oval Office spat with Donald Trump and JD Vance
King Charles greeted hero Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a historic show of support at Sandringham.
The monarch shook hands with Mr Zelensky less than 48 hours after an ugly spat saw Donald Trump and JD Vance round on him in the White House. Mr Zelensky wore his customary dark trousers and sweatshirt as he met the King.
They talked for nearly an hour after Mr Zelensky travelled to Norfolk following a crunch summit in central London. The warm welcome was a far cry from his reception in Washington, when a pro-Trump reporter accused him of disrespecting the occassion by not wearing a suit.
The Ukrainian President has said his choice of clothing demonstrates solidarity with the brave heroes fighting on the frontline against Vladimir Putin’s army. A royal source said: “The Ukrainian President was warmly received and the meeting lasted just under an hour.
“Prior to his visit to the UK, Mr Zelenskyy asked for the meeting with His Majesty and the government agreed for it to go ahead.”
The meeting came amid growing uncertainty about Ukraine’s fate amid growing questions about the US commitment to standing up to Vladimir Putin. In an astonishing tirade Mr Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War Three”, telling him to “make a deal or we are out”.
The aggressive attack led to an outpouring of support around the world, but was welcomed in the Kremlin. Mr Trump, whose affection for the royal family is well known, will have been watching on from across the Atlantic. He gleefully received an invite for a state visit from the King last week when Keir Starmer visited Washington.
The monarch will have agreed to host Mr Zelensky in a carefully calculated show of solidarity. He has spoken in the past about the need for nations to stick together following Putin’s 2022 invasion.
And he will be aware that Mr Trump is watching on from the other side of the Atlantic. The US President was presented with a letter from the King in a diplomatic coup for Keir Starmer ahead of what could have been a difficult meeting.
Making his first trip to the White House since Mr Trump’s return, he made a point of handing the invite over in the full glare of the world’s cameras. In his letter the King suggested meeting the President at either Dumfries House in Ayrshire or Balmoral Castle.
It stated that the bond between the UK and US “has a vital role to play” in promoting the “values which matter so much to us all”. A delighted Mr Trump said it would be an “honour” to receive a second state visit.
The King has previously voiced solidarity with Ukraine. In an address last year he said: “The determination and strength of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire, as the unprovoked attack on their land, their lives and livelihoods enters a third tragic year.
“Despite the tremendous hardship and pain inflicted upon them, Ukrainians continue to show the heroism with which the world associates them so closely. Theirs is true valour, in the face of indescribable aggression.”
He said at the time that it was important that the UK and its allies “remain at the forefront of international efforts to support Ukraine”.
Mr Starmer was earlier challenged about whether Donald Trump should be given a state visit after tens of thousands demanded his invite is torn up. The PM said it is a “matter for the King” when pressed by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
A petition calling for the invite to be rescinded has attracted nearly 70,000 signatures, while former Tory defence minister Tobias Ellwood said such a visit would be “inappropriate”. Ms Kuenssberg asked the PM: “It’s clearly very valuable to you and clearly you’ve made a bond of sorts with Donald Trump in the time that you’ve been in office.
“Lots of people, though, look at how Donald Trump behaves in this country and don’t like it very much. There are people like the SNP, for example, other public figures saying he shouldn’t be given a second state visit.
“That’s an unprecedented thing… Why does Donald Trump deserve a second state visit? Or frankly, was it a diplomatic enticement so that you could get him on board?”
Mr Starmer responded: “Well, that’s a matter for the King.” But the BBC journalist pointed out the invite would not have happened without Government backing.
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The PM said: “This is a moment of real fragility in Europe. It’s a very serious moment.” He continued: “What drives me is – is what I’m saying or doing more likely to bring about peace, a lasting peace or not? If the answer is yes, I’ll do it. If the answer is not, I won’t do it.
“So I’ve seen people ramping up their rhetoric and taking to Twitter and saying what they would do – good for them. I’m not that interested in that.
“I’m interested in what are the practical steps, what are the bridge building that I could do? What are the relationships that I can mend and take forward and use to take us to lasting peace in Europe? And in the end, that’s my central concern.
“I’m not going to be diverted by SNP or others trying to ramp up the rhetoric without really appreciating what is the single most important thing at stake here, which is peace in Europe.”
A petition calling for the invite to be rescinded states: “After Trump’s treatment of Ukraine’s President Zelensky, he has shown that he is not our friend or an ally of democracy. The tactic of trying to flatter him into doing the right thing has failed. He is not someone who should be receiving honours of any kind.”
Mr Ellwood told The Mail on Sunday: “It would be inappropriate to place the King in the position of hosting the President if US foreign policy shifts away from its long-standing support for Ukraine and toward alignment with Russia’s security objectives.”
