It’s safe to say that Prince William‘s unexpected visit to a Polish city close to the Ukrainian border earlier this week did not go over well with Russia.
On Wednesday, the heir to the throne unexpectedly stopped by to greet British troops in Rzeszów, which is about 100 kilometers or an hour’s drive from Ukraine.
He traveled to Warsaw to visit some of the more than a million Ukrainian refugees who have sought safety in Poland after expressing gratitude to them for “keeping an eye on” the situation across the border.
The Russians responded by making it apparent that they did not appreciate the show of support for the victims of their barbaric invasion.
According to The Sun, Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, a spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry, referred to the future king as ‘William Charles-ovich’.
The suffix added to someone’s name means ‘son of’ – as in Vladimir Putin’s middle name, Vladimirovich.
She also reportedly referenced the supply of depleted uranium tank shells by the UK to Ukraine, something that has been brought up repeatedly by the Kremlin and its allies in recent days.
The newspaper quoted her as saying: ‘I wonder if William Charles-ovich brought depleted uranium ammunition for his troops.’
Earlier this week, Putin’s defence minister suggested to reporters the delivery of ammunition with depleted uranium from the UK meant there were ‘fewer and fewer’ steps towards a nuclear collision.
In response, an MoD spokesperson said: ‘The British Army has used depleted uranium in its armour piercing shells for decades.
‘It is a standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or capabilities.
‘Russia knows this, but is deliberately trying to disinform.’
It comes as no surprise that the Kremlin is unhappy about William’s Poland trip.
As well as supporting the British troops, the Prince of Wales seemed to signal support for the country’s LGBTQ+ community by eating at a ‘queer safe space’ restaurant on Wednesday evening.
Both Russia and Poland have drawn condemnation for their treatment of LGBTQ+ people in recent years.