EU Leaders Stop In Kyiv Suburb Left In Ruins After Russian Withdrawal

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (second left), French President Emmanuel Macron (third left), and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) visit Irpin on June 16.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have toured a Kyiv suburb to witness firsthand the massive destruction wrought on the area by Russian forces who invaded and then withdrew after encountering stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces.

The European politicians stopped on June 16 in Irpin, where the corpses of almost 300 civilians have been found strewn about streets, yards, and homes in the wake of the withdrawal of Russian forces from the area in late March.

Macron told reporters in Irpin that it was apparent that massacres and war crimes had been committed by Russian forces in the area while praising the "heroism" of Ukrainians.

Scholz, Macron, and Draghi lead the three largest economies in the European Union. They were joined on the trip by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who arrived separately in Kyiv.

Their four are set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later in the day.

Based on reporting by dpa and AFP