The German Chancellor, the French President and the Italian Prime Minister met with the Ukrainian President
Shocked by the magnitude of the disaster in Irpin they showed Emanuel Macron, Olaf Solz and Mario Draghi. The suburb of Kiev became a symbol of the destruction and atrocities committed during the occupation of the region in March by the Russian army. The German chancellor, the French president and the Italian prime minister met with the Ukrainian president.
“This war must end” said Olaf Solz.
The European leaders, who were joined by Romanian President Klaus Johannes, were accompanied by armed Ukrainian soldiers and a key security guard, as well as a number of journalists.
Like other foreign leaders who had been to Kyiv before them, Macron, Solz, Draghi and Johannes walked the streets of Irpin, where Signs of bombing are ubiquitous.
The leaders asked their companions questions about the return of the inhabitants to their city and the planned reconstruction projects, and then saw a video a few minutes showing Irpin three months ago, when the fighting was raging there.
On the walls of a ruined building, one read “Make Europe Not War”, an inscription that Macron saw and commented on: “it’s the right message (…) it’s very moving to see it ».
French President says massacres and war crimes committed in Irpin and hailed the “heroism” of the Ukrainians.
“It is a heroic city, marked by the stigmas of barbarism,” Macron told reporters. “We all saw these images of a ruined city, which is at the same time a heroic city since it was here, among other things, that the Ukrainians stopped the Russian army coming down to Kyiv. It therefore represents the heroism of the army, but also of the Ukrainian people… And at the same time, here you see traces of barbarism ” mentioned features.
Irpin, a northwestern suburb of Kiev, was the scene of fierce clashes between Russians and Ukrainians during the first days of the Russian invasion in late February. The Russian army quickly occupied the pre-war suburb of 62,000 and maintained control during March.
Kyiv has since accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Irpin and neighboring Bukhara and Borodyanka, following the discovery of hundreds of civilian bodies in those towns following the withdrawal of Russian troops in late March.
Abusive, and at the same time threatening, The message was issued by the Vice President of the Security Council, and former President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev for his visit Emanuel Macron, Olaf Solz and Mario Draghi in Kyiv.
