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William has said the two-day trip will allow him to personally thank the troops and “underline” his support and gratitude to the Polish people who have helped Ukrainian refugees.

Landing in Warsaw on Wednesday, the prince said: “It’s great to be back in Poland.

“Our nations have strong ties. Through our cooperation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened.

“I am here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops who are working in close and crucial partnership.

“I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as well as your homes.

“That is why I visited Rzeszow this afternoon to meet the troops there to hear their stories and acknowledge their duty.

“I was impressed by their passion and their shared determination to defend our shared freedoms.”

It came after he thanked British troops about an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian border for “standing up for our freedoms” by “monitoring” the situation in Ukraine.

After arriving at the defense military base in the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow on Wednesday afternoon, the prince, dressed casually in a black jacket and pants, was shown a missile launcher.

Turning to the soldiers, he said: “I just wanted to come here in person to thank you for all you’re doing, keeping everyone safe here and keeping an eye on what’s going on.

“So, just a big thank you for what you do every day.”

He added: “You are doing a very important job here and defending our freedoms is very important, and everyone at home is fully behind you.”

The base, made up of a coalition of British, Polish and American troops, is helping to support Ukraine.

It is his first trip to Poland since he visited in 2017 with his wife, the Princess of Wales.