Kate and William reveal their children have been asking them about war at visit to Ukrainian Cultural Centre

The duke and duchess made a kind gesture during their trip
Kate and William visit Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London
PA

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have revealed how their children have been affected by the Ukraine crisis during a visit to a relief centre.

Prince William said their older children Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, six, were asking a lot of questions about the war.

“Ours have been coming home asking all about it,” he said at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London. “They are obviously talking about it with their friends at school.”

Kate wore one of the colours of Ukraine as she dressed in a blue jumper for the visit
PA

The duke suggested he had found it difficult discussing the war with his children.

He said he had to “choose my words carefully to explain what is going on”.

Prince William said Britain and the rest of Europe were united behind them and spoke of the shock of seeing war on European soil.

“It’s very alien to see this in Europe. We are all behind you,” he said.

Also, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a thoughtful gesture during their visit.

As a little thank you to the volunteers, the duke and duchess presented them with trays of homemade chocolate brownies and granola bars from Kensington Palace.

Kate and William saw the piles of generous donations being collected at the centre amid Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Already they have pledged a generous donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal.

Kate wore one of the colours of Ukraine as she dressed in a blue jumper for the visit where the royal couple learnt about the steps being taken to support the Ukrainians.

During their visit, they spoke to chief executive of DEC Saleh Saeed about the humanitarian appeal which has so far raised more than £120million.

His key message was that the humanitarian crisis is set to last for months, possibly years, no matter when the fighting stops.

He said the most important thing the British public can do to help to send money, rather than other items.

“The British people have been incredibly generous. They have given £132 million over the last six days,” he said. “But this is not going to be over soon. The most important thing is for people to give more money so that charities and the people of Ukraine can buy what they need with dignity.”

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The couple were told there were specific requests for medicines for hospitals in Ukraine.

They were also shown the large amount of pharmaceutical goods amassed in the centre.

It comes as at least two million people in Ukraine have fled their homes to escape the war.

The pair showed their support for Ukraine in a poignant message on Twitter.

It read: “We stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future.”

The DEC is made up of 15 leading UK aid charities aiming to raise funds for times of crisis overseas.

The Queen, the Prince of Wales and William and Kate are among those who have made generous donations, the DEC said.

At the centre, the royal couple spent an hour chatting to some of the volunteers working to send aid to a hub in western Ukraine.

Many of the calls come from the diaspora,  some of the 100,000 Ukrainians living in Britain and worried about their friends and families, but others here have been eager to help as well.

The Ukrainian ambassador Vadym Prystaiko, his wife Inna, and Inna Hryhorovych, who set up the relief operation, showed William and Kate around.

The royal couple listened to their fears that Russian President Putin will unleash a Third World War unless he can be stopped in Ukraine.

They spoke about the dangers of a second disaster at Chernobyl and also of the impact on the rest of Europe of losing Ukraine’s agricultural output.

William said: “The irony is it brings Europe closer together.  Europe is closer together than it’s ever been before because of Ukraine.”

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