King Charles expressed his determination to visit Ukraine again, "before he gets too old", during his visit to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development headquarters in London.
The monarch, who previously visited Ukraine in 1996, expressed his support for the country which has just marked one year since the Russian invasion. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the bank's new headquarters at London's Canary Wharf, he stated that he would like to see Ukraine again.
Established in 1991 at the end of the Cold War, the EBRD was set up to promote private enterprise and open market economies in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The bank now focuses on digitalisation and the green economy, investing more than £160 billion in projects across three countries in 36 economies.
The King was given a painting by Sofia Franchuk, a 16-year old from the historic town of Tarashcha, located approximately 120 kilometres from Kyiv. The picture was based on the "warm summer and peace" that Franchuk hopes will come to Ukraine soon, despite the blackouts and lack of heating she has experienced. The project, called "Kids and Art for Ukraine," is supported by the bank's Community Initiative Programme, and aims to help children affected by the war by offering psychological and therapeutic relief. The project has raised more than £22,000 so far by selling children's paintings, with the bank matching donations.
During the visit, the King toured the bank's new 26-story skyscraper, which is one of the most environmentally advanced buildings in the UK and uses 100% green power. He learned about the bank's green initiatives, which are part of the Green Economy Transition project aimed at helping countries around the world pursue a green, inclusive, and resilient recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The King met with the bank's Ukrainian and Turkish staff, many of whom spoke emotionally about their experiences of conflict and the recent earthquake. The bank is the leading international financial institution responding to both tragedies, with an office in Kyiv. However, the company had to evacuate their staff to Warsaw in Poland following the outbreak of war.
Prince Charles is a longtime environmental campaigner and showed his support for the bank's green initiatives. The King's visit to the EBRD headquarters was met with applause from the bank's staff, who were delighted by his presence.
In conclusion, King Charles has shown his support for Ukraine during his visit to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development headquarters in London. He expressed his determination to visit Ukraine again, and his interest in the country's development, after receiving a warm welcome from the bank's staff. His visit was an opportunity to learn about the bank's green initiatives and to show support for the charitable project, "Kids and Art for Ukraine," which aims to help children affected by the war by offering psychological and therapeutic relief. Photo by Dan Marsh, Wikimedia commons.