February 24, 2024 9:53 AM EST
King Charles III lauded Ukrainians’ heroism and commended the U.K. and other allies’ support of the country in a message issued on the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The determination and strength of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire, as the unprovoked attack on their land, their lives and livelihoods enters a third, tragic, year,” the King said in a message shared on X, formerly Twitter, along with a picture of himself and his wife, Queen Camilla, lighting candles in a church. “Despite the tremendous hardship and pain inflicted upon them, Ukrainians continue to show the heroism with which the world associates them so closely. Theirs is true valor, in the face of indescribable aggression.”
King Charles said in the message that he has personally felt the bravery of Ukrainians—from meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska to new army recruits training in the U.K.—since the war started.
“Despite the tremendous hardship and pain inflicted upon them, Ukrainians continue to show the heroism with which the world associates them so closely.”
A message from His Majesty The King, marking two years of conflict in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/1sjJoYrcTu
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 24, 2024
His Majesty also expressed that he is encouraged that the U.K. and other allies are at the forefront of international efforts to support Ukraine, relaying that his “heart goes out to all those affected, as I remember them in my thoughts and prayers.”
The King’s message comes amid a pause on his public-facing duties, as he undergoes treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Meanwhile, other Western leaders and Ukrainian allies gathered in Kyiv to mark the war’s anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 24, as the conflict continues.