EU rights envoy visits Ukraine's Irpin & Bucha; avers war crimes must be called to account

European Union (EU) human rights ambassador Eamon Gilmore on Sunday reached Ukraine to take a closer look at Russian brutality. Escorted by Kyiv Police chief Andriy Niebytov, Gilmore visited the devastated towns of Bucha and Irpin on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital city. The EU official assessed destruction in Irpin police station, Romantic bridge, and other civil infrastructure caused by arbitrary mass bombings by Russian aggression. He also paid a visit to the mass graves in Bucha, which is reportedly a gruesome example of atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine.

According to a statement by the Ukraine Police, the interlocutors also discussed an investigation into the war crimes carried out by Russian invaders in the Kyiv region. They noted violations of international law and deliberated on necessary and potential assistance to victims affected by the all-out war. "The whole world was shocked by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The brutalities of these crimes and the European Union now support Ukraine," Gilmore said in a Twitter post.

'Ukraine belongs to European family': EU human rights envoy

The EU human rights envoy further said that the union will amp up steps to hold perpetrators responsible for the war crimes committed in Ukraine. "We will make every effort to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice. Ukraine is a part of the European family. Ukraine belongs to the European Union," he added in a Twitter post. 

Meanwhile, Kyiv Police chief Niebytov in a statement mentioned that it was significant for Ukraine to bring forward the gravity of the Russian invasion to the European leadership. He added that Kyiv wanted other "civilised countries to see with their own eyes what this 'Russian world' is like." Niebytov stressed that "Ukraine strived to bring the scale of the Russian Federation's war crimes in the Kyiv region to the European community as widely as possible so that the brutal aggression of the Russian Federation's army can be punished."

EU FMs to discuss ways to free tonnes of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea port

As the Russian war escalated to day 117, EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss ways to ensure grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports amid Moscow's blockade. The FMs will take up the matter at a meeting in Luxembourg on June 20, Monday.

Notably, Ukraine is one of the major grain producers. However, about 20 million tonnes of grain have been trapped in silos in Ukraine since Russia launched an all-out invasion. Its grain shipment was stalled since the Russian fleet blockaded Ukraine's Black Sea ports and pounded important docks like Odesa and Mariupol. The stalled exports have risked the food security of nearly 49 million people globally, the United Nations warned. Nevertheless, Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility for the looming food crisis and pinned the blame on the West and Kyiv authorities. Meanwhile, the EU has been supporting efforts of the UN to secure a deal for the free passage of Ukrainian grains in return for Russian food and fertiliser exports. On the other hand, Turkey also expressed readiness to take the role of "conservation mechanism" and host Kyiv, Moscow, and the UN to resolve the impasse over grain exports.

(Image: @EamonGilmore/Twitter)