EU’s Top Diplomat and Heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of EU Countries Arrive in Kyiv

EU foreign ministers and Kaja Kallas visited Kyiv on March 31, marking Bucha’s anniversary and reaffirming support, accountability for Russian crimes, and justice efforts.

On March 31, a number of foreign ministers of European Union countries and the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, arrived in Kyiv. They were welcomed at the railway station by Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha. This was reported by Radio Svoboda.

“It is good to be in Kyiv today with the foreign ministers of European countries. Every visit is a powerful reminder of Ukraine’s courage and resilience. Europe stands with you. We will continue to provide military, financial, energy, and humanitarian support. And we will do everything possible to ensure full accountability for Russia’s crimes,” Kallas wrote on X.

Andrii Sybiha, earlier announcing the visit, pointed to the symbolic significance of its date — it is planned to commemorate the anniversary of the killings of civilians in Bucha by Russian troops and to reaffirm the intention to hold those responsible accountable.

“Such a strong European presence on this day demonstrates that justice for this and other Russian atrocities is inevitable. Comprehensive accountability for Russian crimes is essential for restoring justice in Europe. And today we will move forward with efforts on the justice track,” Sybiha wrote on X on March 31.

The Foreign Minister called the visit of the European delegation “a sign of true courage and solidarity with Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, on March 31, Ukrzaliznytsia reported that 108 officials from 22 countries arrived in Kyiv by train.

In recent days, the European Commission has proposed that European Union countries join the founders of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Sybiha welcomed this step, calling it particularly important on the eve of the anniversary of the killings of civilians in Bucha.

The Kyiv region, which was partially under Russian occupation from February 24 to March 31, 2022, was liberated from Russian forces in early April 2022. After Russian troops withdrew, mass killings of civilians were documented in the liberated towns and villages, along with numerous testimonies of atrocities committed by Russian forces.

According to the Archival Department of the Bucha City Council, 554 civilians were killed in the Bucha community during the period of Russian occupation.

Russia denies the involvement of its troops in the mass killings of civilians in Bucha. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that during the presence of Russian forces in the city, “not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions,” while Russian President Vladimir Putin called the mass shootings in Bucha a “fake” and a “provocation.”

EMPR