The Netherlands has allocated €10 million to support Ukraine’s investigation and prosecution efforts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot announced at the “Restoring Justice for Ukraine” international conference held in The Hague, according to Ukrinform.
On 2 April, the conference organized by Ukraine, the Netherlands, and the European Commission gathered delegations from 57 countries to discuss ways to hold Russia accountable for its aggression against Ukraine.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, the president of Eurojust, representatives of the International Register of Damage caused by Russian Aggression against Ukraine, and the International Center for Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine were among the participants of the conference. According to the organizations, a political declaration will be adopted as a result of the event.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, who also took part in the “Restoring Justice for Ukraine’ conference” in The Hague, held a meeting with Hanke Bruins Slot to discuss steps to hold Russian war criminals accountable for their war crimes. He announced this on social media X.
“I began my visit to the Netherlands by meeting my Dutch counterpart and friend @HankeBruinsSlot. We discussed today’s “Restoring Justice for Ukraine” conference in The Hague and concrete steps to deliver justice for Russian atrocities.
I informed my colleague about the increased Russian air terror, including the heavy use of ballistic missiles. Ukraine’s air shield must be strengthened, particularly with additional “Patriot” systems and missiles,” Kuleba wrote on X, adding that he and his country are grateful to the Netherlands for its strong support of Ukraine.
After the conference, Hanke Bruins Slot announced new funding for investigation efforts in Ukraine.
“This year, the Netherlands is allocating €10 million to support Ukraine’s investigative and prosecutorial efforts. Impunity flourishes in silence. Today, we spoke out. We have said it with a single, clear, and resounding voice. We do not tolerate impunity, neither in Ukraine nor anywhere else,” the minister claimed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not attend the conference in person but delivered an address to the participants of the event, emphasizing the importance of ensuring accountability for every potential aggressor.
“Everyone who comes to power in Russia after Putin must know that justice prevails over Kremlin walls,” the president claimed during his speech.
Zelenskyy called on conference participants in The Hague not to deviate from the shared line between Ukraine and its partners – the “line of justice.”
“Justice is the same line from which the movement towards a safe peace can begin. Weapons provide physical protection, but it is justice that restores a sense of security to lives shielded by the force of arms. Justice also restores predictability to all global relations. Every potential aggressor must know what awaits them if they disrupt peace. Only justice can ensure this,” claimed the Ukrainian president.
The president noted that two days ago he was in Bucha, Kyiv region, which has become “a symbol of Russian evil to the whole world.” According to him, the names of all civilians killed by Russian soldiers in the city, as well as in many other Ukrainian settlements liberated from Russian occupation, have not yet been established.
“I urge you not to slow down. We must do everything possible to ensure that justice is strong, so that justice gives real power to our common security – security from aggression and terror. Let true peace be restored sooner. And let everyone who disrupts peace truly fear the court in The Hague,” underlined Zelenskyy.
Read more:
- Abduction and torture: Ukraine’s security service identifies Russian soldiers involved in war crimes during invasion of Kyiv oblast in 2022
- Recent prisoner swap exposes torture against Ukrainian POWs
- Ukraine investigates over a thousand cases of torture by Russian troops against civilians
