LONDON (REUTERS) - Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate said on Saturday (Feb 26) that they stood with the people of Ukraine as they "bravely fight" the invasion by Russia, in a rare public comment for British royals on political issues.
"In October 2020, we had the privilege to meet President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine's future," Queen Elizabeth's grandson Prince William and Kate said on Twitter.
"Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine's people as they bravely fight for that future."
The British royal family do not usually comment on major political matters, sticking to a constitutional norm that they should remain neutral.
However, Prince William's younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who have stepped down from royal duties to move to Los Angeles, said on their website on Thursday that they also stood with the Ukrainian people "against this breach of international and humanitarian law".
During a trip to Canada in 2014, Prince William's father and heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles caused a diplomatic row when his private remarks that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "doing just about the same as Hitler" became public.
Prince Charles made the comments after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea province, prompting criticism from the Russian foreign ministry, which said the comments were "unacceptable, outrageous" and did not reflect well on the future British monarch.
