Maybe
Scotland #12
Could King Charles be about to invite war-torn Ukraine to join the Commonwealth?
The HQ of the Commonwealth of Nations in London is 'abuzz with gossip' that Charles will ask Ukraine to join the 56 members of the bloc, despite the country having no ties to the British Empire
By Ben Borland 7 MAR 2025
The King's private audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Sandringham could be followed by an even more striking gesture of goodwill.
A source at Marlborough House in London says the Pall Mall headquarters of the Commonwealth "is abuzz with gossip that Ukraine could be taken under the bloc's wing".
Although it is no more than a rumour at this stage, the timing is noteworthy ahead of King Charles marking Commonwealth Day on Monday. And with Donald Trump in the White House, Ukraine is never going to be invited to join Nato.
The well-connected Ephraim Hardcastle column in Friday's Daily Mail states: "With Ukraine's chances of joining Nato and the EU non-starters, Commonwealth membership might be easier since the relaxation of ties with the old Empire."
Mozambique became the first Commonwealth country with no historical ties to the United Kingdom when it joined in 1995, with Rwanda, Gabon and Togo all following.
Although an invitation to Kyiv would infuriate Russian warmonger Vladimir Putin, Hardcastle says: "The bloc is a talking shop with no military capacity and could prove an ideal sanctuary for a country out in the cold."
The Edinburgh Declaration in 1997 states that new members must have a constitutional link with an existing Commonwealth member state, which could prove tricky for Ukraine. But Hardcastle points out that the "secretary-general can cut through the red tape in 'exceptional circumstances'. Would Keir Starmer sign the nomination papers?"
The current secretary-general is Labour peer Baroness Scotland, who took office in 2016. Her role is leading the Commonwealth Secretariat, which brings together the governments of all 56 member states.
However, King Charles III is the Head of the Commonwealth of Nations and he has made no secret of his views on the war in Ukraine, with Zelensky's private audience coming just two days after his Oval Office spat with Trump and JD Vance.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/could-king-charles-invite-war-34817110