Excl: Britain to host Zelenskyy for a state visit next year, to signal the strength of the UK’s long-term commitment to Kyiv. The plan poses a diplomatic challenge for Whitehall and Palace officials, who are brainstorming how to create a programme appropriate for a wartime leader. Govt figures said the conundrum was working out how to avoid the lavish banquets, gilded carriages and other opulent flourishes that tend to be the hallmark of state visits to Britain, while ensuring the occasion is still visually arresting and impactful. King Charles, who as head of state would be Zelenskyy’s formal host, is enthusiastic and open-minded about creative proposals for the agenda, the people added. The fifth anniv of start of the Ukraine conflict, which has already lasted longer than WWI, looms next year. Zelenskyy has made more than a dozen trips to UK since Feb 2022, and is expected to be invited to the G20 in Manchester next Nov. But a separate state visit would hold special significance. “What’s very important is showing that there is widespread, cross-party support — almost beyond politics — for Ukraine in this country,” said a UK govt figure. Showcasing national cohesion on the issue iss “crucial for the people of Ukraine to see, but also for the Russians to see”.