Prince Harry demands Putin ‘stop this war’ and US shows leadership on surprise Ukraine trip
Prince Harry appeared at Kyiv Security Forum during a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital today, where he made a speech on his third trip to the war-torn country
Harry directly addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin during his speech(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Prince Harry directly called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop this war” during a surprise trip to Ukraine. The Duke of Sussex arrived at Kyiv railway station this morning, stepping off an overnight train from Poland, greeting and hugging people on the platform for a third visit to the war-torn country.
He then spoke at the Kyiv Security Forum, which takes place over the next few days, where he directly addressed Putin. In his speech, he said: “President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing.
“There is still a moment – now – to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course.”
Harry delivered a speech on his third visit to Ukraine (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He then condemned the “systematic war crimes”, and the ‘chilling’ treatment of Ukraine’s children. He said: “Across occupied territories, there is mounting, documented evidence of systematic war crimes: deliberate attacks on civilians, mass killings, torture, sexual violence, and the forced deportation of entire populations.
“Under international law, the forcible transfer of children from one national group to another is not just a war crime – it can constitute an act of genocide when carried out with intent to destroy a people’s identity. This is not collateral damage. This is not the chaos of war spilling over. This is organised, systematic, intentional, and designed to endure long after the fighting stops.”
He also made reference to the ‘American leadership’ but did not mention Donald Trump by name, saying it was a “moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations”. .
Harry said: “The United States has a singular role in this story. Not only because of its power, but because when Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons, America was part of the assurance that Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders would be respected.
Prince Harry at the Kyiv Security Forum today(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“This is a moment for American leadership – a moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations – not out of charity, but out of its enduring role in global security and strategic stability.”
It came after Harry also warned “the world must not grow used” or ‘numb’ to the conflict in Ukraine as he insisted he was speaking in the war-torn country not as “a politician” but as a “soldier who understands service”.
He said: “I am not here as a politician. I am here as a soldier who understands service, as a humanitarian who has seen the human cost of conflict, and as a friend of Ukraine who believes the world must not grow used to this war or numb to its consequences.
“Because what is happening here is not simply a war about territory. It is a war about values. About sovereignty. About whether the principles that underpin our shared democracy still hold meaning.”
His words explaining he is not a political figure but a humanitarian one echo those of his late mother Princess Diana, who said the same thing on a trip to Angola shortly before her death in 1997.
Harry gives out hugs as he arrives in Kyiv
Harry’s unannounced visit comes days after the duke finished a tour of Australia with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex. Harry stopped in the UK on his journey to Ukraine, but only to transit through and he did not leave airside. His trip comes just four days before his father, the King begins a major state visit to America to see US President Donald Trump.
He earlier told The Sun: “It’s good to be back in Ukraine, a country bravely and successfully defending Europe’s eastern flank. It matters that we don’t lose sight of the significance of that.”
The duke said 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”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin(Image: Getty)
Harry’s trip to Ukraine comes with his Invictus Games Foundation, which supports injured servicemen and women around the world. While there, he will also see the work of The Halo Trust, a charity supported by Princess Diana. The trust carries out dangerous work clearing landmines, and has 1,300 people de-mining in Ukraine.
The royal family has been outspoken in its support for Ukraine and Harry is the most senior royal to visit the country following previous visits by Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne.
The King has welcomed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the UK for talks several times while Harry’s estranged brother Prince William met Ukrainian refugees during a two-day visit to Estonia last year.
