Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a special meeting after the Bucha Summit with speakers and representatives of partner countries’ parliaments and the European Parliament in Ukraine. In a social media post, Mr. Zelenskyy said that participating members of the meeting were unequivocal that Europe will not forget the moral conclusions drawn from the Russia- Ukraine war and Russia cannot be allowed to be absolved of responsibility. He further said that it is simply impossible to normalize what they did in Bucha, Mariupol, and cities and villages.
Zelenskyy called on Monday for Russia to be punished for more than 183,000 alleged war crimes documented by Ukraine since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, saying justice was needed to prevent “evil from proliferating.”
He made his comments to a summit of European officials in Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, where Russian troops have been accused of atrocities including executions, rapes and torture while occupying it.
Russia did not immediately comment after business hours on Zelenskyy’s remarks but has previously denied its soldiers have committed atrocities and says the West has ignored Ukraine’s crimes, a charge denied by Kyiv.
“More than 183,000 crimes related to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine have been officially documented,” Zelenskyy said on the third anniversary of Russian troops being forced out of Bucha. He added that the tally documented by Ukraine since the February 2022 full-scale invasion did not include most of the Ukrainian territory Russia currently occupies.
“We need effective international law to guarantee the protection of our people and all European society from such threats,” Zelenskyy said.
“Justice must be served to prevent evil from proliferating. Pressure on Russia and sanctions against it are necessary to ensure that the war and abuse do not expand further.”
