Politics

EU top diplomat arrives in Kyiv, reaffirms support for Ukraine on Bucha massacre anniversary

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EU top diplomat arrives in Kyiv, reaffirms support for Ukraine on Bucha massacre anniversary
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas arriving in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 31, 2026. (Kaja Kallas / X)

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, arrived in Kyiv on March 31 alongside other European leaders, where she was met by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

The visit coincides with the anniversary of the Bucha massacre, when evidence emerged of mass killings of civilians by Russian forces.

"Welcome to Kyiv, dear European friends, Kaja Kallas and fellow ministers from Europe!" Sybiha said.

He added that the anniversary commemorates the moment when "the horrific footage of the killings of civilians deeply shocked the whole world," calling the visit "a sign of true courage and solidarity with Ukraine."

Kallas said she was in Kyiv with European foreign ministers and reaffirmed Europe’s continued support for Ukraine.

"Europe stands by your side. We will keep providing military, financial, energy, and humanitarian support. And we will do everything we can to ensure full accountability for Russia’s crimes," she wrote on X.

Bucha, a suburb northwest of Kyiv, became a symbol of Russian war crimes after mass graves and bodies of executed civilians were uncovered in April 2022 following its liberation by Ukrainian troops.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has documented over 1,400 civilian killings in the Bucha District, including 637 in Bucha itself, among them 37 children.

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Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

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