Prince Harry makes surprise Ukraine visit, urges Russia to stop war

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News on Apr 23, 2026

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Prince Harry appeared in Ukraine Thursday for an unannounced visit to support the country that has been under attack by Russia for more than four years, urging Russia to stop fighting and calling on the U.S. to do its part to end the conflict.

Harry arrived early Tuesday in Kyiv early Tuesday where he was invited to speak at the 18th Kyiv Security Forum. It was the prince’s third visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

He was there partly to keep global attention on the conflict, lest it be overshadowed by the U.S. war in Iran. He praised Ukraine’s resilience and addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin from the podium.

“President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing,” Harry said. “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 prince also accused Russia of war crimes and hinted at genocide, especially regarding the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly brought to Russia, and decried the long-term mental toll of “psychological warfare.”

“Under international law, this forcible transfer of children from one national group to another is not just a war crime,” Harry said. “It can constitute an act of genocide when carried out with intent to destroy a people’s identity.”

Harry’s message to Ukraine was: “the world sees you and respects you,” Britain’s ITV news network reported. The prince noted that the country is “bravely and successfully defending Europe’s eastern flank” as well as democracy itself.

The prince also met with Ukrainians participating in the Invictus Games Foundation, the organization he established to help wounded veterans compete in sports. Harry himself is a veteran whose 10-year service in the British military included two tours in Afghanistan.

“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,” Harry said.

In addition he planned to visit the Halo Trust, a charity that clears landmines and was famously supported by his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales.