President and First Lady Met with HRH Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska met yesterday in Kyiv with HRH Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, wife of Prince Edward, brother of the British monarch King Charles III. This is the first visit of a member of the British Royal Family to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

The presidential couple thanked the Duchess for her visit.

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"We greatly appreciate the support of the people of the UK, in particular, we are grateful for sheltering our refugees since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion. We are also very grateful for all the military assistance packages from your government and prime ministers. This is extremely important for our military," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

Olena Zelenska expressed gratitude to the guest for fighting against wartime sexual violence. In particular, for her online participation in the International Conference "Restoration of the Rights of Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: An Element of Peace & World Security." The event was held in March in Kyiv with the support of the United Kingdom.

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"It was a powerful advocacy event to promote the issue of interim temporary reparations for the victims. Now the first 50 people are undergoing the identification process. After that, they will receive payments. As a result of the project, we expect a significant increase in the number of testimonies and cases that will be documented," Olena Zelenska noted.

The First Lady noted the UK's assistance in organizing a national judicial investigation of Russian war crimes and participation in the Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children held captive by the aggressor state of Russia.

Olena Zelenska also invited the guest to an excursion to the St. Sophia of Kyiv National Conservation Area.

"St. Sophia of Kyiv is a living proof of our ancient statehood and culture, which cannot be taken away, appropriated, or abolished," the First Lady emphasized.

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ph	President and First Lady Met with HRH Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh 30 April 2024 - 09:36