Ukraine is accelerating preparations to hold Russia accountable for war crimes, including actively promoting the opening of an International Criminal Court (ICC) office in its capital, Kyiv.
According to AFP and other sources on the 3rd (local time), Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, announced at the 'United for Justice' conference held in Lviv, western Ukraine, that "a memorandum of understanding has been signed between our government and the ICC to enable the ICC prosecutor's office to open soon in Ukraine."
He emphasized, "Through the opening of the office, ICC prosecutors will be able to investigate international crimes occurring in Ukraine more thoroughly."
Kostin also stated, "The ICC currently lacks the legal basis to prosecute Russia's crime of aggression," and urged, "A special international tribunal must be established."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, who attended the conference, expressed support for prosecuting Russia's war crimes, saying, "We will strengthen our relationship with the ICC."
President Zelenskyy stressed, "Russian President Vladimir Putin and his accomplices must face a lawful and fair trial," adding, "This is the moral and legal obligation of the international community for those affected by Russia's terrorism."
He further noted, "So far, over 70,000 Russian war crimes have been recorded, and unfortunately, not all crimes have been identified."
At the conference, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and several European judicial leaders attended unexpectedly and met with President Zelenskyy. Wopke Hoekstra, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, also announced the establishment of a dialogue group related to Ukraine.
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