Harry sparked a reaction from both the US and Russia after he delivered an impassioned speech at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday in which he appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop this war” and urged “American leadership” to honour its obligations in the Ukrainian conflict. Responding to the speech Harry made, Mr Trump told reporters: “I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that’s for sure. I think I am speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry.” He added: “But I appreciate his advice very much.”
He went on to ask: “How’s he doing? How’s his wife? Please give her my regards.”
While several people praised Harry for his speech, others criticised him and said he should steer clear of politics.
One of those was Lee Cohen, a US-based columnist and royal and foreign policy commentator, who described Harry’s comments as “jaw-dropping” and urged him to get a “reality check”.
Mr Cohen told the Daily Express: “Prince Harry’s Ukraine commentary is a jaw-dropping display of a lack of self-perception that demands a reality check.
“Those tied to the Crown—working or otherwise—simply do not wade into partisan geopolitics. Yet here is a man who represents no government or institution, spotlighting himself amid a war, all while clinging to the royal associations that he rejected.
“He talks about his service, yet walked away from duty, trashed the institution that gives him relevance in public, and now repurposes its prestige for personal crusades.”
Mr Cohen added: “He is a walking liability. When will the Palace or Parliament take the necessary action to cut his wings and prevent further damage?”
Harry’s lengthy, impassioned speech at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, included him saying he was “not here as a politician” but as “a soldier who understands service” and a “humanitarian”.
Harry said: “The United States has a singular role in this story. 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, a moment for America, to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations – not out of charity but out of its enduring role in global security and strategic stability.”