Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with King Charles at Sandringham after crisis summit on Ukraine
The Sandringham visit marked the end of a difficult week for Mr Zelenskyy, whose White House visit was cut short on Friday after a fiery clash with Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Sunday 2 March 2025 18:42, UK
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting with the King at Sandringham.
The Ukrainian president flew to the royal residence in Norfolk via helicopter after attending a security summit with Sir Keir Starmer and numerous world leaders in central London.
People - some holding Ukraine flags - gathered outside Sandringham to try to witness Mr Zelenskyy's arrival. A military helicopter could be seen flying low before descending over the estate at around 5.25pm.
Pictures released after the meeting show Charles and Mr Zelenskyy shaking hands by the entrance to the royal home.
The pair chatted briefly before heading inside, where they posed for more photographs.
The Sandringham visit marked the end of a difficult week for Mr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president's visit to see Donald Trump at the White House was cut short on Friday after their meeting in the Oval Office descended into a fiery shouting match.
The King is caught in the middle - his job here is huge
This meeting felt worlds apart from Zelenskyy's bruising clash with Trump at the White House.
Taking place in the tranquil calm of the King's Norfolk estate, the two men met in private. No live broadcasts, no conversations on camera, just a few simple photos released.
The King and the Ukrainian president were photographed shaking hands outside and cosily smiling together beside a roaring fire.
This was all in the calendar before the Trump and Zelenskyy showdown at the Oval Office.
And as always, carefully choreographed by the government.
The King sits above politics but finds himself at the centre of difficult and delicate international diplomacy.
Just days before, Sir Keir Starmer had hand-delivered a letter from the monarch to Trump – personally inviting him for an "unprecedented" second state visit.
The King's soft power has been hard at work. For presidents, he is the man they want to meet. For British politicians, he is a quiet weapon of diplomacy.
Although Charles has spoken out strongly on Ukraine, his discussions with Zelenskyy won't have strayed beyond his briefing.
This audience was a moment to show support for Ukraine, without provoking the White House.
The King is caught in the middle. His job here is huge, playing a role as a unifying figure, in the face of a fractured global debate.
The pair had been due to sign a minerals deal and hold a joint press conference - but both events were called off after their tense exchange, fuelled in part by comments from vice president JD Vance.
As White House officials scrapped the day's schedule, Mr Trump described the meeting as "very meaningful" in a post on his Truth Social platform.
He wrote: "I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations."
Read more:
What Ukrainians think of the Trump row
What did Vance say to Zelenskyy?
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Paste BN app for free
Meanwhile, in an interview on Fox News, the Ukrainian president said the row was "not good for both sides" and refused to apologise.
Mr Zelenskyy then jetted to the UK where he met with Sir Keir yesterday and oversaw the signing of a new loan deal to support Ukraine's war efforts.