The horrors in a number of Ukrainian cities have caused an international outcry. The EU is coordinating the referral of those responsible for war crimes trials. Relevant statements were made in the last hours by the head of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyenafter a visit to Bouka, as did the German Chancellor, Olaf Solz.
A similar statement was made yesterday by the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who speaking to the German magazine Der Spiegel called for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“Anyone responsible for these crimes should be given an explanation,” Steinmeier said.
“This includes the soldiers. This includes military commanders. “And of course those who have the political responsibility,” he said.
Today, the German chancellor Olaf Solts “Those who have committed civilian deaths in the Ukrainian city of Bukhara are guilty of war crimes and must be held accountable,” he said.
“It’s something we can not forget,” Soltz said, referring to civilian deaths in the city northwest of Kiev.
“We can not ignore the fact that this is a crime. “These are war crimes that we will not accept … those who committed them must be held accountable.”
After Russian troops withdrew from Bukha last week, Ukrainian officials say hundreds of civilians have been found dead.
Her deputy mayor Μπουκα stated that at least 360 civilians were killed and 260-280 were buried in a mass grave by other residents.
Russia calls allegations that Russian forces executed civilians in Bukhara during the siege of the city “slanderous” to defame the Russian military.
Speaking at a rally ahead of elections in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, Solz said Germany would continue to supply Ukraine with defense weapons to send a message that it was committed to protecting the integrity of European states.
“Europe ‘s borders must remain untouched,” he said.
Russia calls its actions a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “de-Nazify” its neighbor. Ukraine and the West say the invasion is illegal and unjustified.
Ursula von der Leyen: If these are not war crimes, then what are?
The atrocities unearthed in the city of Bouka are evidence of war crimes, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, leaving Ukraine today.
The commission’s president visited Ukraine on Friday to see the aftermath of Russian bombings in cities such as Bukhara.
“My instinct is, ‘If this is not a war crime, what is a war crime?’ “But I am a doctor and the lawyers must investigate it carefully,” von der Leyen told reporters on the train leaving Ukraine.
“I saw the photos, the Ukrainian prime minister showed them to me. To kill people while walking. We could also see with our own eyes that the disaster in the city is targeting the lives of citizens. The houses are not military targets, she said, referring to Boukas.
Yesterday, a team of medical examiners began the exhumation mass grave in Bouka.
The EU and other Western allies are helping Ukraine gather information on future war crimes prosecutions.
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