KING Charles has welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky at Sandringham 48 hours after his bust up with Donald Trump.
The monarch’s meeting with the Ukrainian President comes amid worrying trans-Atlantic diplomatic tensions caused by Friday’s stunning Oval Office row.
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It comes only days after Trump accepted an invite from the King for an “unprecedented” second State Visit with the US President hailing Charles as a “wonderful man”.
Charles has previously given his wholesale support to President Zelensky saying Ukraine has witnessed “indescribable aggression” following “unprovoked attack on their land”.
Zelensky landed in the UK on Saturday ahead of a defence summit with European leaders hosted by PM Keir Starmer, at Lancaster House, London, tomorrow.
He said: “I’m very happy that His Majesty the King accepted my meeting tomorrow.”
The pair met previously during Mr Zelensky’s surprise visit to the UK in February 2023, when the King told him “we’ve all been worried about you and thinking about your country for so long”.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian President said: “Tomorrow (Sunday), there will be a series of bilateral meetings, including one with King Charles III and the European leaders’ meeting on supporting Ukraine.”
Zelensky was afforded a hero’s welcome in Downing Street yesterday as Sir Keir promised Britain’s “full backing”.
In highly emotional scenes, crowds lined the street and cheered him — while the PM wrapped him in a bear hug as the pair met for crunch talks.
He said: “You have full backing across the United Kingdom and we have full backing for Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
The Ukrainian president said: “With pleasure, thank you very much Keir, Mr Prime Minister, happy to be here.
“Really, I saw a lot of people, and I want to thank you, people of the United Kingdom, such big support from the very beginning of this war, thank you, your team”.
He said he was “very happy in the UK” and looking forward to a summit with European leaders tomorrow.
“We’re happy and count on your support and really really have [been] such partners,” he added.
Meanwhile, insiders revealed the royal welcome between King Charles and the Ukrainian leader was being planned before Trump and Zelensky clashed in front of the world’s cameras – and insist it is not a reaction to the row.
One said: “Zelensky was always due to be in the UK this weekend and so a meeting with the King was pencilled in.”
Other insiders point out that although Charles and Zelensky have a close friendship all meetings between world leaders are organised and signed off by the Foreign Office and the Government.
It is not known what the pair will discuss but it has been a tumultuous and shocking couple of days culminating in Trump and Zelensky’s angry exchange in Washington DC on Friday.
Just 24 hours earlier Trump accepted an invite from Charles for an “unprecedented” second State Visit and described the King as a “wonderful man”.
Starmer had been hailed for delivering a diplomatic masterclass during his face-off with Trump in the White House on Thursday.
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