44 countries back creation of tribunal for Russia's crimes against Ukraine
On April 2, in the Netherlands, representatives of 44 countries supported the idea of creating a special tribunal for Russia for crimes against Ukraine. They emphasized the importance of full responsibility of the Russian Federation for its aggressive actions.
Rubryka reports this, referring to a message on the X social network of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, and a declaration published on the Dutch government website.
In total, 57 countries participated in the "Restoring Justice for Ukraine" conference, which was held in The Hague on April 2.
In the document, the signatory countries noted that they "remain committed" to creating a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
The signatories also welcomed the proposal of the Netherlands to accept such a special tribunal.
European countries, the USA, Great Britain, Australia, and Japan signed the final document.
In the declaration, the countries condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine as a flagrant violation of the international legal order and refer to the decision of the UN court from March 16, 2022, which obliged Russia to cease hostilities.
The countries are advocating for increased collaborative efforts to guarantee:
- thorough investigations,
- accountability for all violations of international law committed during Russia's war against Ukraine, including the crime of aggression.
Also, the signatory states welcome the promises made at the conference by various states regarding the further support of the investigations and note the role of all institutions already involved in the work, including the International Criminal Court, which issued an unprecedented warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin.
Two years ago, everyone flatly rejected the idea of a Special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. A year ago, it appeared to be mired in disputes between states. Nowadays, the majority of them have a clear understanding that there is no alternative to…
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 2, 2024
In the second part of the declaration, which addresses compensation for damages inflicted upon Ukraine, the establishment of the Register of Damage, which will begin accepting applications commencing April 2, is welcomed.
The signatory countries assure that the sovereign assets of the Russian Federation in their jurisdiction will remain frozen until Russia:
- will not stop the aggression against Ukraine,
- will not pay for the damages.
In addition, the states welcome discussions on the possibility of using these assets and their income for Ukraine's benefit.
Kuleba noted that two years ago, the idea of creating a special tribunal was "flatly rejected by everyone." And a year ago, according to him, it seemed that the work on it "appeared to be mired in disputes between states."
Kuleba also mentioned his speech at the conference and stressed the urgency of seeking justice for Ukrainians.
In my speech at the opening of the "Restoring Justice for Ukraine" conference of 57 countries in The Hague, I emphasized that Ukrainians need justice right now. Not in a distant future.
Ukrainians don't want to hear that justice will be served. They want to see it served… pic.twitter.com/E13vVAqDaH
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 2, 2024
He reported on "tangible results" in four areas, including:
- the launching of the Register of Damage;
- the creation of the International Center for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine;
- the issuance by the International Criminal Court of the first four arrest warrants, specifically for the Kremlin's leader, Vladimir Putin;
- the first decisions regarding the use of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.
However, now the Minister of Foreign Affairs is confident that the countries will be able to find all of the necessary solutions and " bring the Tribunal into reality."
"We need to make another push to get it done," he emphasized without further explanation.
For reference:
On April 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba arrived in The Hague. He met with Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot and discussed steps to ensure fair punishment for Russian crimes.
