Prince William has found himself the subject of a barrage of criticism, after saying the violence in Ukraine was ‘alien to Europe’. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met with volunteers at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London this week.
Speaking to the volunteers, Prince William said, 'It’s really horrifying. The news every day, it’s just, it’s almost unfathomableFor our generation, it’s very alien to see this in Europe. We are all right behind you. We’re thinking about you. We feel so useless'
An initial report from the Press Association reported that William had also said the situation in Ukraine was unlike conflicts in Asia and Africa, which prompted outrage online. However, the journalist who filed the original story later retracted any reference to Africa or Asia.
The reporter, Richard Palmer explained: 'In the chaos, a remark he made was misheard, starting a social media storm. Apologies for reporting that online.'
However, Prince William has still been criticised by some for his remark that the conflict in Ukraine is 'alien' to Europe. One Twitter user wrote: 'It suggests that war in places like the Middle East is normal.' Others pointed out that there have been multiple conflicts in Europe within William's lifetime.
There have been calls by some for Prince William to apologise for the comment. The palace has so far declined to comment.
The furore around William's choice of words, follows the news that the Queen made a large private donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The DEC, which is made up of 15 member charities that specialize in different areas of humanitarian aid, comes together to raise funds during times of crisis overseas. The organization will use funds raised for its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal for groups working with refugees on the ground in Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, and Romania.
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