Prince Harry got emotional when addressing the athletes who have traveled from war-torn Ukraine to participate in the 2022 Invictus Games, praising them for attending “not simply to show your strength but to tell your truth, the truth, of what is happening in your country. You know we stand with you. The world is united with you and still you deserve more,” Harry said, per BBC. “And my hope is that these events, this event, creates the opportunity in how we as a global community can better show up for you.”
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have spoken out in support of Ukraine before. And during an interview with the BBC, the prince reminded everyone that many of the Ukrainian athletes were on the battlefield serving their country during its ongoing war with Russia before they made the trip to the Netherlands. “That commitment that they’ve made to leaving their country is a really hard thing for them to decide to do,” the Duke of Sussex said. “But they came with their president’s blessing, and I don’t think these games could have been the games that it is without Team Ukraine.”
Harry also revealed that four of the athletes who were scheduled to compete at Invictus — including Ukraine’s archery instructor — were killed in action during the war.
