While Russian strikes continue in Ukraine, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen arrived this Friday, April 8 in Boutcha, northwest of kyiv. This small town, where many corpses of civilians were discovered, has become the symbol of the atrocities of this war.
This visit of “unwavering support for Ukraine” should also bring Ursula von der Leyen to kyiv, the capital, where she is to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. The President of the European Commission is accompanied by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, and the Slovak Prime Minister, Edouard Heger.
It was important to start my visit in Bucha.
Because in Bucha our humanity was shattered.
My message to Ukrainian people:
Those responsible for the atrocities will be brought to justice.
Your fight is our fight.
I’m in Kyiv today to tell you that Europe is on your side. pic.twitter.com/oVEUOPDuD6
—Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 8, 2022
In Boutcha, the three leaders notably went to see the mass graves that the Russian soldiers are accused of having dug to bury the dozens of civilians killed under their occupation. The exhumation of one of these graves, dug behind a church, has just begun today, under the vigilance of Ukrainian investigators.
“It was important to start my visit with Boutcha, wrote the President of the European Commission on Twitter. Because in Boutcha, our humanity was shattered. My message to the people of Ukraine: Those responsible for the atrocities will be brought to justice. Your fight is our fight.”
A “despicable attack”
This Friday, a new missile strike killed at least 50 people by destroying the station of Kramatorsk, “capital” of the part of Donbass under Ukrainian control. Hundreds of civilians were there, trying to flee the shelling. Ursula von der Leyen denounced a “despicable attack”.
This visit by the European official comes the day after Russia was suspended from the UN Human Rights Council and after the establishment of a new series of Western sanctions against the country of Vladimir Putin.
Ursula von der Leyen’s trip follows the visit to kyiv by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, by a few days. Before that, on March 15, the Polish, Slovenian and Czech prime ministers had made the first trip of European leaders since the start of the Russian invasion, in the middle of the siege of the Ukrainian capital.