On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left the capital Kyiv for the first time since the war began to visit the nearby town of Bucha, where he said Russian forces committed “genocide” against Ukrainian civilians.
Following Moscow’s military retreat from Kyiv and surrounding regions, Bucha gained international attention as crimes committed by the Russian forces were made public. In Bucha, Ukrainian officials said that they found dead bodies with their hands tied behind their back, claiming that Russian troops executed as many as 400 civilians.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Bucha today. His face says it all. pic.twitter.com/IWOmIdnnVT
— Kateryna_Kruk (@Kateryna_Kruk) April 4, 2022
According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova, as of Monday, local authorities had recovered 410 civilian bodies from areas that were recently occupied by the Russian military. She noted that the atrocities in Bucha provide “crucial evidence of brutal war crimes of the Russian Federation.”
"Thank you! Let God give you health!" - "To you too!". - "Electricity?" - "We'll turn it on soon" - "Can my son shake your hand?" #Ukraine's President @ZelenskyyUa visited #Bucha, the city near #Kyiv which suffered a lot from the gravest war crimes committed by the Russian Army. pic.twitter.com/U23iGY0mzD
— Victor Kovalenko (@MrKovalenko) April 4, 2022
While talking to reporters in Bucha on Monday, Zelensky said the town is the site where Russian forces killed, tortured, burned, maimed thousands of people, and raped women and children, adding, “These are war crimes and will be recognised by the world as genocide.” The Ukrainian President noted that the revelation of the crimes in Bucha make peace negotiations with Russia more difficult. In this context, he emphasised the need to resolve the conflict, warning that “if we don’t find a civilized solution,” Ukraine “will find a non-civilized solution.”
Internationally, Russia’s alleged actions in Bucha were met with widespread condemnation, particularly, from the United States (US) and its Western allies.
Recalling the criticism he faced from Moscow for calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, US President Joe Biden reiterated that this has become all the more clear in light of the developments in Bucha. Biden emphasised the need to investigate and gather evidence to conduct a “wartime trial.” However, he refrained from calling Russia’s actions in Bucha genocide, and instead stressed that it is a war crime.
We strongly condemn the murder of civilians in Ukraine, remain committed to holding the Russian regime accountable, and will continue to do everything we can to support the people of Ukraine. Those responsible for these egregious and appalling attacks will be brought to justice. https://t.co/YDwJ0n693m
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 3, 2022
Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau affirmed his support for holding the Russian government accountable for its “egregious and appalling” actions in Bucha. Separately, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, announced that Ottawa will impose further sanctions on Russia and Belarus and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct a full war crimes investigation in Bucha and other parts of Ukraine.
Elsewhere, European leaders also condemned Russia’s actions in Bucha, with some intensifying their demands to end Moscow’s energy exports.
On Monday, top officials from the European Union (EU) expressed disapproval over the actions of the Russian military, adding that the 27-nation bloc will set up a joint investigation team with Ukraine to collect evidence for war crimes. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed, “The perpetrators of these heinous crimes must not go unpunished.” Furthermore, European Council President Charles Michel vowed to impose more sanctions on Moscow.
Shocked by haunting images of atrocities committed by Russian army in Kyiv liberated region #BuchaMassacre
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) April 3, 2022
EU is assisting #Ukraine & NGO’s in gathering of necessary evidence for pursuit in international courts.
Further EU sanctions & support are on their way.
Слава Україні!
Germany, a major EU member, backed the bloc’s move to level more sanctions on Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Moscow’s “atrocities” in Bucha should be “relentlessly investigated” for war crimes, adding that Berlin and its allies will announce a response in the next few days. Scholz emphasised that Berlin will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine.
Crucially, German Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht called on the EU to impose an embargo on gas imports from Russia, which would be a major change in position for Berlin, which has stressed that such a move would endanger its economic stability and lead to a recession. That being said, Lambrecht recently rejected Ukraine’s request for German Marder infantry vehicles, citing Berlin’s obligations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Leaders from Israel, Japan, and New Zealand also denounced the Russian army’s actions in Bucha.
It is impossible to remain indifferent in the face of the horrific images from the city of Bucha near Kiev, from after the Russian army left.
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid🟠 (@yairlapid) April 3, 2022
Intentionally harming a civilian population is a war crime and I strongly condemn it.
However, Russia has continued to defend itself against the global condemnation, claiming that the massacres in Bucha have been fabricated by the Ukrainian government.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told officials from the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Affairs office that the situation in Bucha is an attempt to “politicise humanitarian issues.” He emphasised that it is a provocation on part of the Ukrainians and the West, claiming that Russian troops left the town “under specific plans and agreements.” Lavrov noted that Moscow has called for a UN Security Council meeting on this matter.
In this context, US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that Washington will take steps seeking the removal of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). She pointed out that Russia’s involvement in Ukraine continues to indicate that it has no regard for the values of the UN and the UNHRC.