Ursula von der Leyen offers speedy response to Ukraine’s bid to join EU

European Commission chief visits Bucha before meeting Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the civilian deaths in the Ukrainian town of Bucha showed the cruel face" of Russia's army and pledged to try to speed Ukraine's bid to become a member of the European Union.

During a visit to Bucha on Friday, where forensic investigators started to exhume bodies from a mass grave, Von der Leyen looked visibly moved by what she saw in the town northwest of Kyiv where Ukrainian officials say hundreds of civilians were killed by Russian forces.