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Britain’s King Charles III met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Sandringham retreat on Sunday.
Charles welcomed Zelensky to the estate in eastern England for just under an hour, immediately after the latter’s attendance at the defence summit on Ukraine in London.
A military helicopter carrying the Ukrainian leader was seen flying low and descending over the estate at around 5:25 pm (17:25 GMT).
Local residents, some holding Ukrainian flags, gathered outside the estate in an attempt to catch a glimpse of his arrival.
Read Also: Starmer Affirms Support, Says Zelensky ‘Very, Very Welcome’
A motorcade then escorted the president through the estate grounds to Sandringham House, where King Charles greeted him at the doorstep.
They embraced and shook hands before chatting briefly and posing for photographs.
The monarch then warmly received Zelensky in the house’s saloon room, where tea was served.
A helicopter departed the estate at around 6:35 pm.
The pair previously met during Zelensky’s surprise visit to the UK in February 2023 in a historic audience at Buckingham Palace.
They also shook hands and held a private meeting at the European Political Community summit in Oxfordshire in July 2024.
Their latest meeting came after Zelensky’s unprecedented public clash with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the White House’s Oval Office on Friday.
A day earlier, Charles had invited Trump to the UK for an unprecedented second state visit.
On Saturday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer rolled out the welcome mat at Downing Street for Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, wrapping him in a hearty embrace—just 24 hours after the Ukrainian chief’s bruising dust-up with U.S. President Donald Trump.
A crowd of backers roared their approval as Zelensky’s motorcade cruised into the iconic London hub, where Starmer greeted him with open arms, the two leaders flashing smiles for the cameras before ducking into the PM’s residence for a high-stakes powwow.
“You’re very, very welcome here in Downing Street,” Starmer told Zelensky.
“And as you’ve heard from the cheers street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom, and we stand with you with Ukraine for as long as it may take.”
Starmer said both leaders wanted to achieve “a lasting peace for Ukraine, based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine — so important for Europe and so important for the United Kingdom”.
Zelensky responded that had seen the hundreds of supporters gathered outside Downing Street.
