King Charles III of Britain addressed Germany’s Parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday throughout his first worldwide journey as monarch, emphasizing the shut ties between the 2 nations and applauding the navy support Berlin has given to Ukraine.

Alternating between German and English, Charles’s 25-minute speech elicited applause as he affirmed the “energy of the partnership” between Britain and Germany and mentioned his personal private ties to the nation. He additionally drew laughs, joking about soccer rivalries.

“Confronted with so many shared challenges, the UK and Germany are collectively offering management to safe our shared future,” he mentioned.

He underscored the significance of continued assist for Ukraine, calling Russia’s full-scale invasion a risk to Britain’s and Berlin’s democratic values.

“Since I final spoke on this constructing, the scourge of warfare is again in Europe,” he mentioned, including that “freedom and human dignity have been trampled in probably the most brutal manner.” Charles final visited Germany in 2020.

He famous that Britain and Germany are the 2 European international locations which have given probably the most support to Ukraine for the reason that warfare started. “Germany’s determination to ship such important navy assist to Ukraine is remarkably brave, necessary and appreciated,” he mentioned.

“Collectively we should be vigilant in opposition to threats to our values,” he mentioned, “and resolute in our willpower to confront them.”

The king’s look within the Bundestag is a part of a three-day journey to Berlin and Hamburg with the queen consort, Camilla, aimed to strengthen the connection with the European Union after Britain’s exit from the bloc, which induced diplomatic ties to fray.

On Friday, Charles and Camilla will take the practice to Hamburg, the place they’ll go to a monument commemorating Kindertransport, the hassle from 1938 and 1940 that delivered about 10,000 Jewish kids to security in Britain from Nazi Germany.

Jenny Gross contributed reporting.