Prince Harry Issues Rare Message for ‘American Leadership’ in Speech Days Before King Charles’ U.S. State Visit

The Duke of Sussex, 41, also addressed Vladimir Putin in a speech made during a surprise trip to Ukraine on Thursday, April 23

NEED TO KNOW

• Prince Harry delivered a rare message on U.S. leadership as he spoke in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, April 23
• Without mentioning Trump by name, the Duke of Sussex, 41, urged the U.S. government to take a lead role in the Ukraine war
• Harry also addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin, telling him that “there is still a moment, now, to stop this war”

Prince Harry is speaking out with a pointed message on American leadership.

During an unannounced visit to Ukraine, the Duke of Sussex, 41, delivered a powerful address at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, April 23, emphasizing the United States’ role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine — without naming Donald Trump directly.

“The United States has a singular role in this story,” Harry said, before adding, “Not only because of its power, but because when Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons, America was part of the assurance that Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders would be respected.”

“This is a moment for American leadership,” he continued. “A moment for America to show that it can honor its international treaty obligations, not out of charity, but out of its own enduring role in global security and strategic stability.”

Harry — who lives in Montecito, Calif., with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4 — delivered the remarks as part of a broader speech on the war in Ukraine, underscoring the global stakes of the conflict.

Harry also addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“No nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing,” he told the Russian leader.

Harry went on to urge Putin that “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.”

“Years into this war, with immense losses and limited gains, it is increasingly clear that this path offers no victory, only more loss,” the prince continued, referencing the war, which started in February 2022.

Harry had previously said in the speech, “I am not here as a politician.”

“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,” he continued.

Harry’s remarks drew likeness to ones previously made by his late mother, Princess Diana, who garnered global attention to the call for an international landmine ban when she walked through an active minefield in Angola in 1997 with The HALO Trust.

There, she told the cameras  that she was “not a political figure” but a “humanitarian” one, according to ITV News, which is accompanying Harry on his Ukraine visit.

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Harry’s trip to Ukraine comes just days before his father King Charles‘ state visit to the U.S., which is set to take place from April 27 to 30.

PEOPLE understands that Harry will not be meeting up with his father during his visit alongside Queen Camilla, with any suggestion that they might carve out time together proving unrealistic given the tightly choreographed nature of the trip.

“When you’re talking about a state visit, every minute is accounted for — especially when it’s the King traveling as the invited guest of a head of state,” a source recently told PEOPLE.

The source added that Harry would not be expected to press for a meeting under those circumstances, noting that there is an understanding on both sides. “Harry knows how things are and wouldn’t ask for that either under these circumstances,” the insider said.

Charles’ trip, which is to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, is set to include a state banquet at the White House on April 28.

“I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect,” Trump previously said.