Martínez Belío represents Albares at EU Foreign Ministers’ informal meeting in Kyiv on Tuesday

Eduardo González The State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, will represent Spain at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv on Tuesday, marking the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre, which took place in the early days of the Russian invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha received the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kakha Kallas, and several accompanying EU ministers at the Kyiv train station on Tuesday. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares did not travel to the Ukrainian capital and sent Martínez Belío in his place, according to diplomatic sources who spoke to The Diplomat. According to the EU External Action Service (EEAS), the High Representative will chair an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Ukrainian capital, followed by a joint press conference with Kallas and Sybiha. The visit will conclude with a ceremony for the handover of energy equipment to Ukrainian Railways. Along with Kallas, the foreign ministers of Germany, Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania—Johann Wadephul, Radoslaw Sikorski, Baiba Braže, and Kęstutis Budrys, respectively—have also arrived in Kyiv. “This strong European presence today demonstrates that justice for this and other Russian atrocities is inevitable. Comprehensive accountability for Russian crimes is vital to restoring justice in Europe, and today, we will strengthen efforts to achieve such accountability,” Sybiha stated, as quoted by Ukrainian news agencies. “This strong European presence today demonstrates that justice for this and other Russian atrocities is inevitable. Comprehensive accountability for Russian crimes is vital to restoring justice in Europe, and today, we will strengthen efforts to achieve such accountability,” Sybiha said, as quoted by Ukrainian news agencies. “Ukraine knows how to win. This visit is a demonstration of true courage and solidarity with Ukraine. I thank the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kakha Kallas, and all the European colleagues who have come to Ukraine today,” Sybiha added. “It is a pleasure to be in Kyiv today with the European foreign ministers,” Kallas wrote on social media. “Every visit is a powerful reminder of Ukraine’s courage and resilience,” she continued. “Europe stands with you. We will continue to provide military, financial, energy, and humanitarian support and will do everything possible to ensure full accountability for Russia’s crimes,” she concluded. According to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, Kakha Kallas also warned that ending the war in Ukraine requires concessions from Russia and joint pressure from the United States and Europe on Moscow. The meeting began with a commemoration of the Bucha massacre (Kyiv region), perpetrated by Russian forces between February 27 and March 31, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of at least 420 civilians. Many of the victims were found with their hands tied behind their backs, executed at point-blank range, while others died from artillery shrapnel. “Bucha has come to symbolize the cruelty of Russia’s war. Many of the civilians killed were shot at point-blank range. Some had their hands tied behind their backs,” Kallas wrote on social media. “Four years after these massacres, we remember the victims. What happened here is undeniable. The EU is committed to ensuring that these crimes do not go unpunished, including by supporting the Special Tribunal for Aggression Crimes, together with the Claims Commission. Russia must be held accountable for what it has done to Ukraine,” she added.

Related Content

An American diplomat in the Sevillian Holy Week of the 19th century

17th century Madrid's Holy Week in the eyes of a Muslim Ambassador

Spain and 17 other countries call for an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks

The Holy Week in Baroque Madrid told by a French aristocrat

EU Member States give green light to Gibraltar agreement with the United Kingdom