The hongi is an extremely important gesture in Maori culture (Photo: Getty)

A Maori man training with Ukrainian troops greeted King Charles with the traditional Hongi salute on Monday.

The New Zealander is part of a contingent of Ukrainian troops being trained by British soldiers in Wiltshire, England.

In a windswept field, King Charles and the Maori soldier pressed their noses and foreheads together as part of the ancient salute, a symbolic sign of unity in Maori culture.

The pair then shook hands as they embraced.

Britain and its international partners are preparing the Ukrainian unit with five weeks of basic training before returning to Ukraine to fight Russia.

Troops receive basic combat training (Photo: Getty)

WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: King Charles III. visits a training facility for Ukrainian military recruits in Wiltshire, England on February 20, 2023. Recruits complete five weeks of basic combat training by British and international partner forces before returning to Ukraine to fight. (Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

King Charles was previously greeted with the Hongi (Image: Getty)

WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: King Charles III. receives the Hongi, the traditional Maori greeting, from a New Zealander who is part of the Ukrainian contingent training at the site, on February 20, 2023 in Wiltshire, England. Recruits complete five weeks of basic combat training by British and international partner forces before returning to Ukraine to fight. (Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The other soldiers smiled at the pair (Picture: Getty)

Sitting next to a trench network used to train Ukrainian troops in Wiltshire, a Ukrainian soldier undergoes five weeks of basic combat training from British and international partner forces before returning to Ukraine to fight. Photo date: Monday, February 20, 2023. PA photo. See PA story ROYAL King. Photo credit should read: Chris Jackson/PA Wire

Soldiers are trained to repel Russian troops in Ukraine (Photo: PA)

WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: King Charles III. meet Ukrainian recruits being trained by UK and international partner forces on February 20, 2023 in Wiltshire, England. Recruits complete five weeks of basic combat training by British and international partner forces before returning to Ukraine to fight. (Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

King Charles regularly meets with the British Army as part of his royal duties (Image: Getty)

Several British royals have been greeted with the Hongi on visits to New Zealand, including the late Princess Diana, Duchess Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The Hongi has deep symbolic meaning in Maori culture.

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When Maori poke their noses, the tradition reflects sharing the breath of life and is believed to come directly from the gods.

The Maori are the brilliant people of New Zealand and number about 776,000 people, although their diaspora is also in Australia, USA and Canada.

The UK has now aided 10,000 volunteer Ukrainian soldiers, nearly a year after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The recruits, many of whom are inexperienced, have been arriving since July to train in security before returning to defend their homeland against Moscow’s attacks.

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