Polish, Baltic Presidents Visit Ukraine, Show Support vs Russia

The presidents of four countries on Russia’s doorstep visited Ukraine on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in a show of support for the embattled country after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to continue his bloody offensive until its “full completion,” Adam Schreck and Oleksandr Stashevski reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — all NATO countries that worry they may face Russian attack in the future if Ukraine falls — traveled by train to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — all NATO countries that worry they may face Russian attack in the future if Ukraine falls — traveled by train to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In one of the most crucial battles of the war, Russia said more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops had surrendered in the besieged port of Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces have been holding out in pockets of the city. The claim could not be verified.

Russia invaded on Feb. 24 with the goal, according to Western officials, of taking Kyiv, toppling the government, and installing a Moscow-friendly one. In the seven weeks since, the ground advance stalled, Russia has lost potentially thousands of fighters — and the war has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee.

The war has also rattled the world economy, threatened global food supplies, and shattered Europe’s post-Cold War balance. US President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Russia’s actions in Ukraine “a genocide” for the first time, saying “Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian.”

Zelenskyy commended Biden’s use of the word, saying “calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil.” He added: “We are grateful for US assistance provided so far and we urgently need more heavy weapons to prevent further Russian atrocities.”

The European leaders visiting Ukraine planned to deliver “a strong message of political support and military assistance,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said. Nauseda, Estonian President Alar Karis, Poland’s Andrzej Duda, and Egils Levits of Latvia also planned to discuss investigations into alleged Russian war crimes, including the massacre of civilians.

Nauseda said the leaders visited Borodyanka, one of the towns near Kyiv where evidence of atrocities has been found. “This is where the dark side of humankind has shown its face,” he wrote on Twitter. “Brutal war crimes committed by the Russian army will not stay unpunished.”

An expert report commissioned by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) found “clear patterns of (international humanitarian law) violations by the Russian forces in their conduct of hostilities.” The report was written by experts selected by Ukraine and published Wednesday by the Vienna-based organization that promotes security and human rights.

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