EU has Ukraine’s back

Mass grave found in recaptured town

KYIV: European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has promised Ukraine will continue to have Europe’s support for “as long as it takes” as the country’s president announced the discovery of a mass grave in a town recaptured from Russia.

Ms von der Leyen’s trip to Ukraine coincided with a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his increasingly close ally, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in exSoviet Uzbekistan.

“We will never be able to match the sacrifice that the Ukrainians are making,” Ms von der Leyen said at a press conference with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“But what we can tell you is that you’ll have your European friends by your side as long as it takes,” she added.

Highlighting the conflict’s toll, Mr Zelensky said a mass grave had been found in Izyum after the town was recaptured.

“We want the world to know what the Russian occupation has caused,” he said, without giving details on the number of bodies found or their cause of death.

A regional police official, Sergei Botvinov, told Sky News a burial site with some 440 graves had been discovered in Izyum, with some of the dead shot and others killed by shelling.

Ms von der Leyen had earlier said she wanted Mr Putin to face the International Criminal Court over war crimes in Ukraine.

“That Putin must lose this war and must face up to his actions, that is important to me,” she told the news outlet Bild.

Upon arriving in the country, she said her discussions with Ukraine’s leaders would be about “getting our economies and people closer”.

Kyiv gained EU candidacy status in June at the same time as ex-soviet Moldova, which borders Ukraine and, like its bigger neighbour, has had Russian troops stationed in an eastern breakaway region.

EU nations have staunchly supported Ukraine since Moscow invaded in February by hitting Russia with economic penalties. Many members of the bloc have also supplied Kyiv with advanced weapons that have helped Ukrainian forces recapture territory.

Germany’s defence minister pledged more weapons, saying Berlin would provide armoured vehicles and rocket launch systems.

Ms von der Leyen said the EU sanctions against Russia would remain and Europeans must keep their resolve.

“I want to make it very clear the sanctions are here to stay,” she said.

The UN nuclear agency has yet again asked Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.