In a high-profile diplomatic sequence that capped a weekend of critical talks with Europe’s top leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Windsor Castle on Monday for a private audience with King Charles III, marking another milestone in the United Kingdom’s long-running backing of Kyiv amid its ongoing war with Russia.
The meeting came one day after Zelensky gathered with the heads of government of the UK, France, and Germany for closed-door negotiations in London, where the four leaders released a joint communiqué reaffirming their unwavering commitment to Ukraine and pushing for a fair, sustainable resolution to the full-scale invasion that Russia launched in 2022. Following Monday’s audience, Zelensky took to social media to extend public gratitude to the British monarch and the British people for what he described as “ironclad” support that has not wavered through years of conflict. He also shared a candid photo of the two leaders together in Windsor Castle’s historic halls, giving the public a glimpse of the private gathering.
Speaking exclusively to *The Guardian* after the meeting, Zelensky confirmed he had issued a formal invitation for King Charles III to undertake an official state visit to Ukraine as early as 2025. The invitation opens a new chapter of diplomatic engagement between the two nations, even as Ukraine continues to defend its sovereign territory against Russian military advances.
During the interview, Zelensky also addressed a recently sparked controversy in the UK, where multiple local councils controlled by the right-wing Reform UK party have ordered Ukrainian flags removed from the outside of municipal town halls. When asked for comment, Zelensky struck a measured but concerned tone. “I hope they will put it back,” he told the outlet. He added, “I don’t want to be involved in any political things, but you know, the world is so sensitive today. Sometimes little, small mistakes can break big friendships or huge contacts.”
Reform UK pushed back against the criticism in a statement to the BBC, defending the local councils’ decision as a logically consistent position. The party’s spokesperson said: “It is an entirely reasonable position to support the people of Ukraine in their fight against Russia, whilst also believing that only domestic flags should be flown from public buildings at home.”
Sunday’s London talks brought together UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—collectively known as the E3, a bloc of Europe’s most powerful nations that count among Kyiv’s strongest international backers. In their joint statement, the three leaders called on Russia to immediately implement a full, unconditional ceasefire across all Ukrainian territory, and strongly condemned Moscow’s ongoing large-scale campaign of missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and population centers. Currently, the UK and France co-lead the “coalition of the willing,” a multilateral initiative designed to put binding security guarantees in place for Ukraine as part of any final peace agreement with Russia.