Spain and the rest of the EU, except Hungary, demand “full accountability” from Russia in Kyiv

Eduardo González The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kakha Kallas; the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha; and the foreign ministers or deputy foreign ministers of all EU countries, except Hungary, demanded this Tuesday in Kyiv “full accountability from the Russian Federation for any violations of international law in or against Ukraine.” This is stated in the joint declaration adopted this Tuesday in the Ukrainian capital by the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre, perpetrated in the early days of the Russian invasion. The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, did not travel to Kyiv and sent Martínez Belío in his place, according to diplomatic sources who spoke to The Diplomat. “We are gathered today in Kyiv and Bucha to commemorate the victims of the mass atrocities committed in Bucha during Russia’s temporary occupation of parts of the Kyiv region in 2022, and to reaffirm our firm commitment to ensuring the full accountability of the Russian Federation for any violations of international law in or against Ukraine, including aggression in violation of the UN Charter,” begins the joint statement signed by the High Representative and the foreign ministers or deputy foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. “We honor the memory of all the victims of the Bucha massacre and other massacres in cities, towns, and villages across Ukraine, where civilians were subjected to mass killings, torture, sexual violence, forced deportations, and other grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The evidence gathered following the withdrawal of Russian forces underscores the urgent need to ensure full and comprehensive accountability,” the statement continues. “We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and other grave crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In this context, we welcome the recent progress within the Council of Europe, with the support of the European Union, toward the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. We also express our support for the International Criminal Court’s investigations into the situation in Ukraine and call for the full cooperation of all States Parties,” it concludes. “We emphasize that accountability is an indispensable element for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace, as well as for respect for international law,” the signatories warned. “In this fifth year of Russia’s war of aggression, we reaffirm our firm and unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law,” the declaration concluded. 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 whom were found with their hands bound and 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. In the subsequent joint press conference with Sybiha, Kallas asserted that the EU has developed “two lines of action” to end the war: “supporting Ukraine so that it can resist and putting pressure on Russia, because, to be very clear, there is an aggressor and a victim,” so “the pressure must be on the aggressor” so that “they move from pretending to negotiate to actually negotiating.” “We see that the Russian economy is not doing well; not even the rise in oil prices is helping them as much as they need,” she asserted. Furthermore, “they have major problems recruiting new soldiers for their army,” she added.

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