The Duke of Sussex has directly urged Vladimir Putin to “stop this war” in a surprise visit to Kyiv, as he praised Ukraine for “still standing, still fighting”.
Prince Harry, 41, was addressing world leaders and high-ranking military officials at the Kyiv Security Forum as part of a surprise visit and appealed to the Russian leader to “choose a different course”.
He said: “President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing.
“There is still a moment – now – to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course.”
The visit to Ukraine was made to “remind people back home and around the world” of the country’s war with Russia.
The Duke of Sussex warned “the world must not grow used” to, or “numb” to, the conflict in Ukraine.
“I am not here as a politician,” he said. “I am here as a soldier who understands service, as a humanitarian who has seen the human cost of conflict, and as a friend of Ukraine who believes the world must not grow used to this war or numb to its consequences.”
He condemned the “systematic war crimes”, and the “chilling” treatment of Ukraine’s children.
“Across occupied territories, there is mounting, documented evidence of systematic war crimes: deliberate attacks on civilians, mass killings, torture, sexual violence, and the forced deportation of entire populations,” Harry said.
“Under international law, the forcible transfer of children from one national group to another is not just a war crime – it can constitute an act of genocide when carried out with intent to destroy a people’s identity.
“This is not collateral damage. This is not the chaos of war spilling over.
“This is organised, systematic, intentional, and designed to endure long after the fighting stops.”
He also made reference to the “American leadership” but did not mention Donald Trump by name, saying it was a “moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations”.
Harry said: “The United States has a singular role in this story. Not only because of its power, but because when Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons, America was part of the assurance that Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders would be respected.
“This is a moment for American leadership – a moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations – not out of charity, but out of its enduring role in global security and strategic stability.”
Harry was filmed by ITV News arriving at Kyiv railway station on Thursday morning, stepping off an overnight train from Poland and greeting people on the platform.
“It’s good to be back in Ukraine,” he said, according to the broadcaster.
Harry described Ukraine as “a country bravely and successfully defending Europe’s eastern flank” and said: “It matters that we don’t lose sight of the significance of that.”
He said about Ukraine: “You have adapted, you have endured. And you have held the line.
“Few believed that would be possible. And yet here you are – still standing, still fighting, still leading.”
He added: “What is happening here is not simply a war about territory.
“It is a war about values, about sovereignty, about whether the principles that underpin our shared democracy still hold meaning.”
The duke said he wanted “to remind people back home and around the world what Ukraine is up against and to support the people and partners doing extraordinary work every hour of every day in incredibly tough conditions”.
The unannounced visit comes days after the duke finished a tour of Australia with his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.