European Council President Charles Michel said he had “no words” to explain how he felt after his visit to Ukraine on Wednesday. He stressed that Russia “should be punished" for what it did in Ukraine.
“There are no words in order to explain what I feel, not as the President of the European Council, but as father, as a human being. These are atrocities. These are war crimes. It must be punished. It will be punished. They must pay for what they have done, there and in many other cities and other locations in Ukraine,” Michel said in a press conference in Kyiv.
Addressing together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Michel said he had visited the town of Borodyanka earlier that day, where mass graves with hundreds of killed and tortured civilians had been discovered after russian troops had withdrawn from the Kyiv region.
Michel also said the European Council would provide assistance for Ukraine in documenting the crimes of the occupying forces for the administration of justice.
The President of the European Council noted that in the first days of the war the EU decided to provide military support to Ukraine, including equipment and weapons. In addition, EU member states provided bilateral assistance at the request of the Ukrainian state.
Charles Michel also supported the strengthening of pressure on the russian regime in order to end this war. Today additional points of proposals for the European Council to strengthen sanctions on russia were discussed.
“We are determined to do everything we can to support Ukraine because we want victory for Ukraine,” declared The President of the European Council.
“Right now, like you, I think of the people, the soldiers, but also the civilians in the Donbas, in Mariupol and in other cities who are fighting for their lives, who are fighting for the sovereignty of Ukraine,” said Michel, “and that is why we will use all the possible tools in our hands.”
He added that the European Union is working closely with international organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank to provide Ukraine with the funds it needs to pay for short-term, medium-term and long-term social costs.
“It is also very important to start as soon as possible the programme of rebuilding the country,” he said.
“The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine estimated that it needs financial assistance of $5 billion a month to support the functioning of the country's economy,” reported the Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday.