Zelensky calls Bucha massacre as 'genocide'

BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to the small town of Bucha on Monday to see first hand the death and destruction that has shocked the world. War crimes had been committed in Bucha, Zelensky told journalists in the community located some 25 kilometres north-west of Kiev. "The world will recognise this as genocide," he said.

Zelensky was accompanied by security guards and wore a protective vest as he took stock of the devastation. Bodies and burnt out Russian tanks litter the streets.

When asked by a reporter whether it was still possible to negotiate peace with Russia, he answered in the affirmative: "Ukraine must have peace."

At the same time, he stressed that an early success in the negotiations was in Russia's interest: "The longer the Russian Federation delays the talks process, the worse it will be for them."

Pictures of unarmed residents lying lifeless on the ground after Russian troops withdrew have been reverberating around the world since the weekend. Russian troops controlled the area for weeks. Ukraine, along with many world powers, say Russian soldiers committed the massacre.

Moscow says it had nothing to do with the killings.

The EU plans to send investigative teams to Ukraine to look into alleged Russian war crimes in Bucha and elsewhere.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced after a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the EU's judicial authority Euro just and the law enforcement agency Europol are ready to provide support.

This group is to collect evidence and investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Ukraine has accused Russia of killing hundreds of civilians in the town of Bucha, near Kiev. Von der Leyen was shocked by the atrocities and said "the harrowing images cannot and will not be left unanswered" and that "a global response is necessary."

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be tried for war crimes after images of alleged Russian war crimes in Bucha shocked the world.

"He should be held accountable," Biden said on Monday in the White House garden. "This guy is brutal and what's happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone's seen it," Biden said. He added that it was a "war crime." Investigations must now gather "all the details" so we can "have a war crime trial," Biden said.

He also said that Washington would continue to tighten sanctions on Russia due to the its war on Ukraine. "I'm going to continue to add sanctions," Biden said. He also said the US would keep supplying Ukraine with weapons to fight the Russian aggressors. - dpa