EU ministers commemorate Bucha massacre as Ukraine peace talks stall

Good morning. Who is Péter Magyar, the nemesis of Viktor Orbán? Read our profile of the Hungarian prime minister's ally-turned-foe, as he bids for victory in next month's election. Today, I report on a sombre meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bucha, Ukraine, and Laura reveals a push by European lawmakers to remove Vladimir Putin's former translator from a mission to observe the Hungarian vote. Ground zero EU foreign affairs ministers gather in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha today to mark a grim and solemn anniversary of the most infamous crime of Russia's four-year-long invasion of Ukraine, as concerns rise that the world is increasingly losing interest in the war. Context: Russia invaded in February 2022 seeking to conquer the country. On April 1, Ukraine liberated Bucha as part of a counteroffensive that repelled Moscow's effort to capture Kyiv, discovering the massacre of hundreds of civilians. Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, said the visit "comes at a crucial moment. Accountability for Russia's war crimes must be ensured". European capitals fear the war against Iran has caused the US to lose interest in efforts to forge a peace settlement in Ukraine and boosted Russia's financial and geopolitical leverage, undermining Kyiv's bid to end the war on its terms. More than 400 civilians were killed during Russia's four-week-long occupation of Bucha, some murdered in brutal executions with bags over their heads or their hands tied behind their backs, and dumped in mass graves. The scale of Russian soldiers' brutality towards Bucha's civilians proved a turning point in the war. It rallied European support to Kyiv's cause, provoked global condemnation and became a one-word reference to Moscow's alleged war crimes. It made stark the horrors of the conflict, then only just over a month old, and contributed to the collapse of nascent peace talks brokered by Turkey. Russia has said the evidence compiled by international agencies is "a hoax". EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas will be joined today by 12 foreign ministers, with other EU capitals represented by alternative ministers. Hungary, the bloc's most pro-Russian member, chose not to send a minister. Two weeks ago the EU imposed sanctions on nine Russian soldiers for "atrocities against residents of Bucha", while last week Brussels began the process to help set up a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. "It will be decided in Ukraine whether the European peaceful order can prevail or if we will return to our continent's darkest days," Germany's foreign minister Johann Wadephul said yesterday. Chart du jour: Fine, for now Food trade for now seems decoupled from the massive shock to oil and fertiliser prices for the Middle East war, due to a succession of good harvests and plentiful grain stocks, writes Alan Beattie in Trade Secrets. Observing the observers EU parliamentarians and election observers have asked for the removal of a former translator for Russian President Vladimir Putin from an election observation mission to Hungary, writes Laura Dubois. Context: Hungary is facing crucial elections on April 12 which could unseat longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The election campaign has turned increasingly toxic, marked by allegations of foreign interference and Russian influence. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) will send around 140 election observers -- mostly MPs from OSCE countries -- to Hungary to oversee the voting process. Daria Boyarskaya, a permanent employee at OSCE PA, is set to co-ordinate the mission. But more than 50 MEPs from across political groups have criticised her involvement due to her past work as an interpreter for Putin. "Ms Boyarskaya's documented professional background raises serious questions as to her suitability for a role at the heart of this international election observation mission," the MEPs wrote in a letter to OSCE PA's leadership, seen by the FT. "We respectfully urge you to assess this matter with the utmost seriousness and relieve Ms Boyarskaya of her duties related to the Hungarian elections with immediate effect," they add. The OSCE itself is also sending an election observation mission of some two dozen long-term observers, who have already been stationed in Hungary for several weeks, plus some 200 who will arrive later. They will join forces with the OSCE PA mission on election day. The letter argues that Boyarskaya would have "access to sensitive information and direct interaction with stakeholders whose trust is essential for the credibility of the mission". Nat Parry, spokesperson for OSCE PA, said there was no evidence of wrongdoing on Boyarskaya's part. "It's an old story being rehashed," Parry said. "She's done nothing wrong so there is no reason to remove her from her duties."