Kyiv, March 31 (IANS) European Union's (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Foreign Ministers of EU nations, barring Hungary, gathered in Ukraine's Bucha on Tuesday to commemorate the victims of the "mass atrocities" committed during Russia's temporary occupation of the parts of Kyiv in 2022.

The countries reiterated their commitment to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and other serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s military action in Ukraine.

They reiterated their commitment to ensuring "full accountability of the Russian Federation, for any violations of international law in or against Ukraine, including aggression in violation of the Charter of the United Nations."

The joint statement was signed by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, 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,

It stated: "We honour the memory of all victims of the massacre in Bucha and other 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 and human rights law.

"The evidence collected following the withdrawal of Russian forces, underscores the imperative to ensure full and comprehensive accountability. We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine," it added.

The EU countries welcomed the recent progress within the framework of the Council of Europe with the support of the European Union towards the operationalisation of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the establishment of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine.

They expressed their support for investigations by the International Criminal Court into the situation in Ukraine and call for full cooperation by all State Parties.

Kallas expressed EU's commitment to ensuring that crimes in Ukraine do not go unpunished. She also called for holding Russia accountable for what it has done in Ukraine.

"Bucha has come to symbolise the cruelty of Russia’s war. Of the civilians killed, many were shot at close range. Some with their hands tied behind their backs. Four years after these mass killings, we remember the victims. What happened here cannot be denied. The EU is committed to ensuring that these crimes do not go unpunished, including by supporting the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, alongside the Claims Commission. Russia must be held accountable for what it has done to Ukraine," Kallas wrote on X.

--IANS

akl/as