European ministers in Ukraine for Bucha atrocities anniversary as drones hammer Russian oil ports

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Press Office, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, center left, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, center right, and EU foreign ministers attend a commemorating ceremony in Bucha, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Press Office via AP) 2026-03-31T07:37:45Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — European foreign ministers visited Ukraine on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of atrocities committed in a town near Kyiv by Russia’s invading forces.

With U.S.-led efforts to end the war on hold and Washington’s attention gripped by the conflict in the Middle East , European governments are keen to keep a spotlight on the continent’s biggest land war in decades, now in its fifth year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would hold a video call on Wednesday about ways to end Russia’s invasion, with American negotiators as well as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte joining in.

Washington’s representatives will include Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and U.S.

Sen.

Lindsey Graham, he said.

The talks have yielded no breakthroughs on key issues so far.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s long-range drones hammered Russian oil facilities in the Baltic Sea Monday night for the fifth time in just over a week, as Kyiv tries to prevent Moscow from profiting off its oil exports amid an energy crisis, prompted by the Iran war, and a temporary U.S. waiver on Russian oil sanctions.

The export income finances Moscow’s war effort, Ukraine says.

Fourth anniversary of Bucha atrocities A group of 12 European foreign ministers, as well as numerous lower-ranking officials, arrived by train in Kyiv where they were welcomed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who noted the “grim anniversary” of the atrocities in Bucha.

Russian troops quickly occupied the town after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

They stayed for about a month.

When Ukrainian troops retook Bucha, they found more than 400 bodies left by Russia’s “cleansing” operation .

The Russians hunted people on lists prepared by their intelligence services and went door to door to identify potential threats. “Such a strong European presence (in Ukraine) on this day demonstrates that justice for this and other Russian atrocities is inevitable,” Sybiha said in a post on X. “Comprehensive accountability for Russian crimes is vital to restore justice

原文链接: AP News