Of . – 08/04/2022 17:00 (act. 08/04/2022 17:00)
Von der Leyen visited Kiev and Bucha. ©REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
On Friday, the president of the European Commission visited the Kiev suburb of Bucha to get a feel for the situation after war crimes became known.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was the first high-profile Western politician to have a grasp of the situation after war crimes became known in the Kiev suburb of Bucha.
Von der Leyen visited Bucha in Ukraine
Von der Leyen visited Butscha and lit a candle in the church for the victims
Among other things, the German politician looked at 20 bodies exhumed from a mass grave on Friday and lit candles in a church for victims of the atrocities. After the withdrawal of Russian troops from Bucha, a massacre of civilians became known over the weekend.
Von der Leyen also wants to meet Ukraine’s President Selenskyj
German politicians had already arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev with their delegation on Friday afternoon after a long train journey. There she wanted to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, among others. The trip was a “clear sign of support for the Ukrainians,” von der Leyen said en route to Kiev. The country urgently needs help.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. Over the weekend, photos of dead bodies, some tied up, on the streets of Butscha sparked horror. Ukraine blames Russian troops for atrocities against hundreds of residents. Moscow denies it and speaks of an act, but without providing any evidence.
In response to the massacre, von der Leyen proposed a fifth package of sanctions against Russia, which has already been approved by EU states. Among other things, it contains a ban on imports of coal from Russia, but also other restrictions on trade with Russia and an extensive ban on ships flying the Russian flag entering EU ports. However, Ukrainian President Zelenskyj immediately called for tougher measures.
Karl Nehammer also wants to visit Ukraine
Von der Leyen is accompanied by a delegation that also includes EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger and several EU parliamentarians. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) also announced a visit to Kiev in the coming days. “This trip is a clear sign of support for the Ukrainians,” von der Leyen said en route to Kiev.
On Thursday night, von der Leyen departed with a special train from the small town of Przemysl in southern Poland, just 13 kilometers from the border. Thousands of refugees still arrive there every day in the European Union at peak times, sometimes more than 100,000 a day.
Six weeks after the start of the war in Ukraine, the European Union’s representation in Kiev will reopen on Friday, EU foreign policy chief Borrell announced during the train journey. The country is still under Ukrainian control, Borrell said. Referring to the train journey across the country, the Spaniard said: “You don’t feel like you’re at war.”