The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been thanked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for their support amid the Russian invasion.
On Saturday, William and Kate issued a rare, personal message saying they stood with the people of Ukraine as the Russian invasion of the country continues.
They wrote: "In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine's future.
"Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine's people as they bravely fight for that future."
The Cambridges signed off their message with their initials, indicating they had personally posted the words of support.
The couple included the flag of Ukraine in the post, which was retweeted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
And this morning, President Zelensky took to Twitter to say he and his wife Olena Zelenska were grateful for their support.
He wrote: "Olena and I are grateful to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge that, at this crucial time, when Ukraine is courageously opposing Russia ’s invasion, they stand by our country and support our brave citizens.
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“Good will triumph.”
In October 2020, William and Kate welcomed Mr Zelensky and his wife Olena to Buckingham Palace for an audience on behalf of the Queen.
The royal pair met the president and his wife, who were on a two-day visit, in the palace’s Throne Room.
Last week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also put out a statement saying they "stand with the people of Ukraine".
The message, shared on their Archewell website, reads : "Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same."
Meanwhile, the West fears Russian President Vladimir Putin will resort to “barbaric tactics” as his forces close in on Ukraine’s capital.
A Russian military convoy around 40 miles long is north of Kyiv and there are fears that the city will face a barrage of rockets and shells which could inflict devastating civilian casualties.
Ukraine has already accused Russia of war crimes during the invasion over the bombardment of civilian areas in the second city Kharkiv.
The UK's deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, a former Foreign Office lawyer, said it must be clear “both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow and on the ground in Ukraine that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war”.
He told Sky News: “Those that engage in war crimes will be held to account.”
