On Monday 16 January, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, whose country took over the Presidency of the EU Council on 1 January, and the spokesman for the European External Action Service described the attack on a residential building in Dnipro on 14 January as a “war crime”. The destruction of the building left at least 30 people dead, including children. On Monday, the Kremlin denied any responsibility.
“Sweden condemns in the strongest terms the continuing systemic attacks on (Ukrainian) civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure”, Kristersson said at a press conference with European Council President Charles Michel in Stockholm. “Intentional attacks on civilians are war crimes. Those responsible will be held accountable”, he promised, calling the attacks horrific.
Earlier in the day, the EEAS spokesperson described the attacks as “barbaric” and “heinous”, saying that the actions constituted war crimes and should be stopped immediately.
The day before, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, warned that Russia would have to be held to account for the attacks. “Russia’s inhumane aggression is directly targeting civilians, including children. There will be no impunity for these crimes”, Borrell warned on Twitter.
Both Kristersson and Borrell reiterated that the EU would support Ukraine as long as necessary.
At the beginning of the European Parliament’s plenary session, its President, Roberta Metsola, said that the images of “massacred” women and children would long haunt those who saw them.
The war in Ukraine will again be on the agenda for the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday 23 January. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)