For there to be responsibility for Russia’s crime of aggression, a Special Tribunal is needed, and Ukraine is doing everything to create such a tribunal.
The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
The full text of the speech is provided below:
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!
Today, we took several new steps to restore justice to Ukraine, to bring to justice all those responsible for this criminal war.
We are already cooperating with many countries and international organizations so that every Russian murderer receives the deserved punishment. We have already established cooperation with the International Criminal Court and will increase it.
But, unfortunately, the available international legal instruments are not enough for justice.
Even in the International Criminal Court, it is still impossible to bring the highest political and military leadership of Russia to justice for the crime of aggression against our state – for the primary crime. The crime that gave birth to all other crimes of this war – and not only after February 24, but also from 2014. That’s when it all started.
For there to be responsibility for aggression, a Special Tribunal is needed – in addition to the International Criminal Court. And we are doing everything to create such a tribunal.
Today, the address of the First Lady of Ukraine to the Parliament and the people of Great Britain was dedicated to this task exactly.
Olena’s visit to the United Kingdom is currently underway. And on behalf of all Ukrainian men and women who suffered from Russian aggression, she called on Great Britain to become a leader in global efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine and to restore justice.
The British have this experience, it is part of our shared historical memory. In the winter of 1942, when no one could predict when World War II would end, it was in London that representatives of the Allies signed the Declaration of St. James’s Palace. The document that started the path to the Nuremberg trials, that is, to justice after that war.
Now we already have strong cooperation with the Netherlands, which is helping with the creation of a prosecutor’s office to collect evidence of war crimes. We are working with France, which helps us in field work to document Russian evil.
And we must unite the world majority in support of the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly regarding the Special Tribunal.
We must develop the necessary legal architecture to make the tribunal work. We must fully implement this clause of our Peace Formula and really ensure justice after this war, just as after the Second World War. I believe that Great Britain will show its leadership precisely in this struggle for justice.
Today, the Russian War Crimes exhibition was opened in London – this is a project that demonstrates to the world what Russia has brought to Ukrainian soil. This exhibition worked in Davos, during the World Economic Forum, also in New York – during the UN General Assembly, in Brussels, at the headquarters of NATO. Now the British will see it. All leading countries will know and see what evil Russism is responsible for.
A meeting of justice ministers of the G7 countries was held in Berlin – an extremely useful one. Ukraine was represented there by the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Justice of our country. This meeting was devoted precisely to bringing the occupiers and the aggressor state to justice for everything they have done. Following the meeting, we can see an obvious willingness to work together to eventually restore the force of international law, restore the full effect of the UN Charter and bring Russia to a fair liability.
I spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today – it is Germany that chairs the G7 this year. We discussed our cooperation both at the bilateral level and in international institutions. The priorities are clear – protection against missile terror, energy restoration, food security. I thanked the Chancellor for his support.
The situation at the front is difficult. Despite extremely big Russian losses, the occupiers are still trying to advance in the Donetsk region, gain a foothold in the Luhansk region, move in the Kharkiv region, they are planning something in the south.
But we are holding out and – most importantly – do not allow the enemy to fulfill their intentions. They said they would capture the Donetsk region in spring, summer, autumn… Winter begins this week already. They wasted their regular army there, they lose hundreds of mobilized and mercenaries there every day, they use barrier troops there…
This year, Russia will lose a hundred thousand of its soldiers killed and only God knows how many mercenaries. And Ukraine will stand. And the world will do everything to ensure that everyone guilty of this criminal war is brought to justice.
And I also want to thank the Netherlands for today’s decision – the House of Representatives of the States General recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Step by step, the world will put everything in its place.
Glory to all who fight for freedom!
Glory to all who work for our victory!
Eternal memory to all who gave their lives for Ukraine!
