Warm reception for Zelensky as he meets King at Sandringham

(BBC)- Volodymyr Zelensky has met King Charles III at Sandringham, after attending a summit of European leaders on ending the war in Ukraine.

As the Ukrainian president arrived at the King’s Norfolk residence, local residents, some holding Ukraine flags, gathered outside the estate to witness his entrance by helicopter.

Zelensky was in London over the weekend for the talks on European defence, after a fiery exchange with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Friday.

Ukraine’s president was “warmly received”, and the meeting lasted just under an hour, royal sources said. The pair were served tea in Sandringham’s Saloon room.

Zelensky described it as “a very good meeting”.

“I’m very grateful for this meeting and for how His Majesty helps Ukraine and supports us,” he told reporters. “He’s met our warriors here, being trained in the UK, and we’re very thankful to the Royal Family for their support.”

The King has previously expressed support for Zelensky and Ukraine, saying the country had experienced “indescribable aggression” following Russia’s “unprovoked attack on their land”.

The Ukrainian people have shown “truly remarkable courage and resilience in the face of such human tragedy”, the King said last year.

They first met at Buckingham Palace during Zelensky’s surprise visit to the UK in 2023, and the same day the King visited Ukrainian troops being trained in Wiltshire.

Today’s meeting was requested by the Ukrainian president, with the agreement of the UK government.

After the summit had concluded, Sir Keir unveiled a four-step plan world leaders hope will guarantee peace in Ukraine.

These steps include keeping military aid flowing and the creation of a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.

Sunday’s meeting in Norfolk has allowed Zelensky to meet the King well before Trump’s second state visit to the UK, which was offered when Sir Keir presented the US president with an invitation letter from the monarch during a visit to Washington last week.

While the Ukrainian leader’s visit is an official one, it is less formal than a state visit.

Traditionally, second-term US presidents are not offered a state visit and have instead been invited for tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle.

Sir Keir said Trump’s last state visit in 2019 had been a “tremendous success” and that the invite for a second visit was “truly historic” and “unprecedented”.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after reading the letter, Trump said he accepted the invite and that it would be an “honour” to visit the “fantastic” country. When the trip will take place has yet to be announced.

Sir Keir dismissed calls by SNP first minister John Swinney to cancel the invite to Trump after his disastrous Oval Office meeting with Zelensky – in which he accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War Three”.