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Updated September 16th, 2022 at 17:11 IST

Ukraine's first lady to attend Queen's funeral as Russia not invited by UK: Report

Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska will attend Queen Elizabeth funeral in London on September 19. Queen's funeral is set to take place at Westminster Abbey.

Reported by: Apoorva Kaul
Ukraine
Image: AP | Image:self
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While Russia is not invited for Queen Elizabeth's funeral, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska will travel to UK to pay respect to the late monarch. She will attend Queen's funeral in London on Monday, September 19. It is to mention that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wife is among the 500 heads of state and dignitaries who have been invited to the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19, The Sun reported. The world leaders who are set to attend the ceremony include US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

The news of her attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth comes after it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been invited to the ceremony. Reportedly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not believed to attend the funeral of the Queen. A source told The Sun that the presence of Olena Zelenska at the funeral of the Queen showcases "another sign of the global support for Ukraine while Russia is isolated."

The source underscored that the UK is one of Ukraine's "staunchest allies" and her presence at the funeral shows the "friendship and mutual respect" between the two nations, as per The Sun report. Notably, the UK has been supporting Ukraine with defence and financial assistance ever since Moscow launched an offensive in Ukraine. Furthermore, Britain has imposed sanctions against Russia for its military operations in Ukraine. According to the source, Olena Zelenska will return to Ukraine after the ceremony ends on Monday. A day before the funeral, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will host foreign VIPs at a Buckingham Palace reception. 

'Deeply immoral': Russia issues response after UK bans officials from Queen's funeral

The UK's decision to not invite Russian officials to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral has been slammed as "deeply immoral" by Moscow. Russian president Vladimir Putin has been excluded from the ceremony. Notably, the ties between Russia and the UK are witnessing a decline since Russia started its military offensive in Ukraine. In a statement released on 15 September, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, "We regard this attempt to use a national tragedy, which has touched the hearts of millions of people across the world, for geopolitical goals and to settle scores with our country as deeply immoral." She underscored that Queen Elizabeth II was a "very strong unifying force and did not interfere in politics during her reign as a matter of principle." 

Image: AP

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Published September 16th, 2022 at 17:11 IST

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