Prince Harry has said he will always be part of the Royal Family during a surprise visit to Ukraine. The Duke of Sussex's comments come after he delivered an impassioned speech at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, April 23.
Appeal to Putin and Call for American Leadership
He appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to 'stop this war' and urged 'American leadership' to honour its obligations in the Ukrainian conflict. Harry, who served on two frontline tours to Afghanistan, said he was 'not here as a politician' but as 'a soldier who understands service' and a 'humanitarian'.
Reflections on His Role
In Ukraine on Friday, April 24, Harry told ITV News he does not recognise the description of himself as 'not a working royal'. He said: 'I will always be part of the Royal Family and I'm here working and doing the very thing that I was born to do, and I enjoy doing it. I enjoy being able to do these trips and come and support the people that I've met before, the friends that I've made, and hopefully bringing attention to issues that for one reason or another drop out of the news because something else has popped up.'
Timing of Visit
Harry's trip comes just days before his father King Charles begins a major state visit to the USA to see President Donald Trump, against the backdrop of transatlantic tensions over the conflict in the Middle East. Asked if he believes any of the comments he has made during his time in Ukraine will impact the state visit, he said: 'Not at all.'
Comparison to Princess Diana
Harry, who lives in Montecito, California, with his wife Meghan Markle and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, also referred to his mother Diana's trip to Angola in 1997 to campaign against landmines. During her visit, Diana said: 'I am not a political figure. I am a humanitarian figure and always have been and always will be.' Harry told ITV News: 'It's very, very sad because nearly 30 years ago since my mother was in Angola here we are again in a new conflict.'
Rare Input on Global Matters
It was a rare input on global matters from Harry when he implored the US to 'honour its international treaty obligations' in its 'enduring role in global security' during his speech in Kyiv. Responding, Trump said: 'I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that's for sure. I think I am speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry. But I appreciate his advice very much.'
Feeling Gagged
Harry has said people need to 'speak up', telling ITV News: 'As a global community we need to feel empowered to be able to speak truth to power. It's really that simple. It's bad enough in today's world feeling gagged and saying that you can't say these things and can't say that and everything becomes political. I fundamentally disagree with that. What we are witnessing and what we are seeing is a humanitarian catastrophe in multiple parts of the world and people are speaking up and people will continue to speak up and I would encourage more people to do the speaking up.'
Harry's unannounced visit, his third trip to Ukraine since the war began in 2022, came days after he finished a tour to Australia with his wife. He stopped in the UK on his journey to Ukraine, but only to transit through and he did not leave airside.
