During a covert visit to a Polish military base close to the Ukrainian border, the Prince of Wales thanked British soldiers for “defending our freedoms.”
Prince William’s visit to Rzeszow in southeast Poland was kept under wraps due to security concerns until he departed from there and arrived in the capital Warsaw
While addressing British soldiers, he said, “Thank you for all you are doing out here. So, just a big thank you for what you do on a day-to-day basis.” He added, “You’re doing a really important job out here and defending our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home thoroughly supports you.” He expressed his gratitude by saying that he wanted to thank them personally for “keeping everyone safe” and “keeping an eye on what’s going on”.
The distance from Rzeszow to the Ukrainian frontier is just over an hour by car. There is a facility for the British Army that provides assistance to Ukraine.
Prince William is traveling to Poland at the UK government’s behest, but the prince has been outspoken about his support for Ukraine since the beginning, tweeting the same thing just days after Russia invaded the country. To show the same gesture, he showed his support again.
Before taking off again for Warsaw, the heir to the throne paid a visit to a Polish territorial army base in Rzeszow and met some of the 300 women and children who were housed there.
While in Warsaw, William said, “It’s fantastic to be back in Poland. Our nations have strong ties. Through our cooperation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened. I’m here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership. I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes.”
The prince will visit Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace on Thursday as part of his two-day trip. Additionally, he will place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a memorial to Polish troops who died in battle. Since visiting with his wife, the Princess of Wales, in 2017, this is William’s first journey to Poland.
King Charles III visited Romania in May of last year, prior to becoming king, to meet with Ukrainian refugees. This was the first trip by a top royal to the area following the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
One of the major providers of military hardware to Ukraine is Poland.
