European leaders pay respects to fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Kiev

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk paid their respects to fallen Ukrainian soldiers during a visit to Kiev on Saturday.

Joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska, the leaders placed lanterns at a memorial on the central Independence Square - known as the Maidan - and observed a minute's silence.

A Ukrainian honour guard attended the ceremony at the memorial site, which was spontaneously erected on a lawn on the Maidan after the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Relatives or friends of Ukrainian soldiers killed in action were asked to place a small flag for each of the casualties on the grass.

Since then, tens of thousands of flags, photos and other items have appeared to commemorate the victims of the war.

According to official figures, over 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the fighting, although some estimates see the death toll as up to twice as high.

The United Nations has reported the deaths of more than 13,000 civilians as a result of the invasion.