European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen looks at bodies from a mass grave in Bucha, Ukraine, on Friday April 8. (Rodrigo Abd/AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described what she saw during her visit to the Ukrainian city of Bucha as “horror” and reiterated her “admiration” for Ukrainians fighting the Russian invasion.
“There are no words for the horror I saw in Bucha, the ugly face of Putin’s army terrorizing people,” von der Leyen said on Saturday during a global Stand Up For Ukraine event in Poland’s capital Warsaw. “I have so much admiration for our brave Ukrainian friends fighting this. They are fighting our war.”
“They are in our fight because it is not just Ukraine that is fighting for its sovereignty and integrity, but they are also fighting over the question of whether humanity will prevail or if abominable devastation will result,” von der said Leyen
She traveled to Kyiv with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Friday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also spoke at the Stand Up For Ukraine event.
Zelenskyy praised the courage of his compatriots and reiterated his call for additional military and financial help.
“The Russian leadership did not take into account one fact. The fact that they are attacking the other largest country in the world, Ukraine, the largest by their bravery. We are not afraid of massive rocket attacks, Russian planes and endless columns of tanks,” he said.
“We are here today to respond to President Zelensky’s call for the international community to mobilize in support of Ukrainian refugees and all Ukrainians,” Trudeau said.