European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to the Ukrainian capital "this week" accompanied by EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, her spokesperson announced on Tuesday.
A move in response to the discovery of hundreds of civilian bodies in Boutcha, after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the kyiv region.
“President von der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell will travel to kyiv this week to meet President Zelensky before the #StandUpForUkraine event which will take place on Saturday in Warsaw,” spokesperson Éric Mamer said on his Twitter account.
This event is intended to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees.
President @vonderleyen and HRVP @JosepBorrellF will be traveling to Kyiv this week to meet President @ZelenskyyUa ahead of the #StandUpForUkraine donors conference on Saturday in Warsaw.
— Eric Mamer (@MamerEric2) April 5, 2022
A trip expected by the Ukrainian president: "I expect his arrival in the coming days, we do not yet know when," said Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday during a meeting with the press.
"The day before yesterday, we agreed with the European Union that there will be an international commission of inquiry" into the war crimes of which Russian forces are accused in Ukraine, he said. he assures.
“War crimes”?
“The EU is ready to send teams of investigators to the field,” Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday.
His trip follows the visit to kyiv by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, by a few days.
It was announced on Monday evening by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, but the European Commission then refused to confirm it.
In parallel, Volodymyr Zelensky will speak on Tuesday before the UN Security Council.
He accused Russian forces of killing scores of civilians in eastern Ukraine, including Boutcha, but the Kremlin denied responsibility.
Read alsoMassacres in Ukraine: how investigators will work to prove Russian "war crimes"
Janez Jansa took part on March 15 with his Polish counterparts Mateusz Morawiecki and Czech Petr Fialac in the first visit by EU leaders to the besieged Ukrainian capital since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
Member states are discussing a new package of economic sanctions to try to block the Russian war machine, but they are divided on the measures affecting the purchases of oil, gas and coal.
Russia is the EU's largest supplier of fossil fuels.
It alone accounts for around 45% of gas and coal imports, and 25% of oil imports.