French president Emmanuel Macron has denounced the “barbarism” of Russian forces in a Kyiv suburb following “massacres” on a joint visit with other European leaders to Ukraine, reports ITV News.
He spoke in the town of Irpin while on a visit with the German, Italian and Romanian leaders to show support for Ukraine. Mr Macron condemned the attacks that devastated the town, and praised the courage of residents of Irpin and other Kyiv region towns who held back Russians forces from attacking the capital.
The leaders of the European Union's three largest economies arrived earlier in Kyiv to the sound of air-raid sirens as they made the highest-profile show of collective European support for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February.
Mr Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian premier Mario Draghi travelled to the capital together on a special overnight train provided by the Ukrainian authorities.
They held long meetings in the dining car after midnight to align their positions ahead of a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is set to join them in Kyiv.
Speaking to ITV News, Mr Macron insisted France did not misjudge Moscow's invasion and rejected claims that many Ukrainians think he and other European leaders should have visited the country sooner.