Sophie, Britain’s Duchess of Edinburgh, has visited Ukraine, meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife in the first trip to the country by a British royal since the conflict with Russia began, Buckingham Palace said on Monday.
Sophie, 59, is the wife of King Charles’ youngest brother, Prince Edward.
“It’s true that women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human cost when it comes to the way that they are affected, the way that they can be used as weapons of war,” the princess said in a speech during the visit.
“Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy, and we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening,” she added.
The foreign office said Sophie paid her respects to those who lost their lives in Bucha, a town near Kyiv where Russian forces are accused of committing war crimes including executions and rapes before it was recaptured two years ago.
She met survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and survivors of torture, the ministry said, and children who had been returned to Ukraine after being separated from their families and taken to Russia.
She also met female volunteers who have helped their communities cope with the aftermath of attacks with mental health activities for children.
Britain has been one of the most vocal and active backers of Ukraine since Russia invaded, and has pledged more than £4.7 billion (US$5.91 billion) in non-military support.
German police arrest Russian man over fatal stabbings of 2 Ukrainians
German police arrest Russian man over fatal stabbings of 2 Ukrainians
Sophie’s trip to Ukraine follows previous visits she has made to countries including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia to hear first-hand testimonies from victims of conflict-related sexual violence.
“I’ve met so many wonderful Ukrainians … in the United Kingdom, who have found a home over there,” she said, before adding, “their hearts remain here.”
“They would like to return home one day, and hopefully that will happen,” she said.
Ukrainian forces have been on the defensive for months, while Russia’s troops have steadily inched forward along the front line.
Moscow has for weeks pressed its advantage at the front, an effort it has accelerated in recent days before crucial US weapons reach Kyiv’s exhausted frontline forces.
“Ukraine has been outgunned for months, forced to ration its ammunition … But it’s not too late for Ukraine to prevail,” the Nato secretary general said at a press conference with Zelensky.
Ukraine army chief warns of front line pressure, as forces wait for US aid
Ukraine army chief warns of front line pressure, as forces wait for US aid
He said months-long delays in US military aid to Ukraine had “serious consequences on the battlefield”.
But Stoltenberg insisted that “more support is on the way”.
“Our allies are looking into what more they can do and I expect new announcements soon. So we are working hard to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs,” he promised.
Ukraine has been dependent on Western military aid to counter Russia’s larger and more powerful army.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
