The genuine restoration of justice entails holding accountable all individuals responsible for launching an all-out war on Ukraine – from Russian soldiers to Russian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, says Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin, UkrInform reports.
Since the very first days of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ukrainian and international experts have started raising questions about bringing the Russian perpetrators to accountability. During a speech at The Hague on 14 July, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suggested creating a Special Tribunal to prosecute Russian military and political administrations for crimes committed in Ukraine.
According to Kostin, more than 40 countries have already supported the creation of a special tribunal for the investigation of Russian crimes against Ukraine.
“The genuine restoration of justice demands a comprehensive approach. We refer to it as a “Network of Comprehensive Responsibility”. Comprehensive – because it entails responsibility for all war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression. It also includes compensation for damages to our state and all victims.
It signifies the inevitability of punishment for criminals at all levels, from ordinary soldiers to the leaders of the Russian regime and personally Putin,” said Kostin.
The prosecutor general says that the establishment of the special tribunal is crucial for the full functionality of the network.
He also reminded that according to the World Bank’s estimates, the losses inflicted by Ukraine due to Russian aggression amount to $400 billion.
“We are also documenting and assessing environmental damages. Currently, the discussed number is around $50 billion.
However, this evaluation, made in the middle of last year, increases daily,” emphasized Kostin, adding that every affected individual should receive compensation at the expense of the aggressor country.
In addition, the prosecutor general highlighted that in Davos, the Ukrainian delegation presented the second set of points of the Peace Formula: withdrawal of Russian troops, ending the hostilities, restoration of justice, environmental safety, prevention of escalation, and repetition of aggression.
“In other words, the discussion of all 10 points of the Formula has already been completed,” Kostin concluded.
On 16 January 2024, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy took part in the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland). During his speech, the Ukrainian leader said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would not stop if Ukraine’s allies withdrew their support.
Zelenskyy meets with global leaders and investors at Davos, calls for confiscation of Russian assets
President Zelenskyy called Vladimir Putin “a predator who is not satisfied with frozen food” and said that Ukraine would never accept a frozen conflict. Zelenskyy reiterated that Russia must pay for its invasion and called for the confiscation of Russian-frozen assets.
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