I’EU is “urgently” discussing new sanctions against Moscow, demanded in particular by France and Germany, after the discovery of a large number of civilian bodies in the kyiv region, such as in Boutcha, the high representative indicated on Monday of the EU, Josep Borrell. The EU “condemns in the strongest terms the reported atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in several occupied Ukrainian towns, which have now been liberated”, added Josep Borrell in a press release. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the city where the “massacre” took place.
“Every day, when our fighters enter and retake territories, you see what is happening,” Volodymyr Zelensky told media, including AFP, in a bulletproof vest and accompanied by Ukrainian soldiers, in a street. of Boutcha devastated by the fighting. “These are war crimes and it will be recognized by the world as genocide,” he said.
Emmanuel Macron said Monday morning “in favor” of the European Union deciding on new sanctions vis-à-vis Russia evoking oil and coal, after the discovery of hundreds of civilian bodies in the region of kyiv, especially in Boucha. “What happened in Boutcha imposes a new set of sanctions and very clear measures,” the French president told France Inter. “So we are going to coordinate with our European partners, in particular Germany”, in “the next few days”, he added, referring to individual sanctions and measures on “coal and oil”.
Polish Prime Minister talks about “genocide”
The High Commissioner for Human Rights in turn said she was “horrified” by the images of the bodies in the Ukrainian town of Boutcha. “The information that is emerging from this area and elsewhere raises serious and worrying questions about possible war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations of human rights”, underlined Michelle Bachelet in a press release. , also calling “to preserve all the evidence”.
The Polish Prime Minister called on Monday for the creation of an international commission of inquiry into “the genocide” committed, according to him, by the Russian army in Ukrainian cities, including Boutcha, while the Japanese Foreign Minister said he was “deeply shocked” by reports that “exceptionally cruel acts of violence against civilians have taken place near kyiv”.
The United States will try to obtain the “suspension” of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, in particular in response to “the images of Boutcha”. “In close coordination with Ukraine and other member states and partners at the UN, the United States will work to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council,” added the Minister. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, currently visiting Romania.
Moscow rejects all accusations regarding Boutcha
Russia “categorically” denies all accusations related to the discovery of a large number of civilian corpses in Boutcha, near the Ukrainian capital kyiv, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
“We categorically reject all charges,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters, assuring that Russian Defense Ministry experts had discovered signs of “video falsifications” and “fakes” in the images presented by the Ukrainian authorities as evidence of a massacre of which they accuse Russia. “Judging by what we have seen, we cannot trust these video images,” said Dmitry Peskov, assuring that it was necessary to “seriously question this information”.
