Zelenskyy stresses: not only weapons are important for Ukraine, but also the creation of an international tribunal to punish the occupiers
In the context of the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an important statement on the need to create a special international tribunal to hold the top Russian leadership accountable for the crime of aggression. The statement was made during a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Thursday night, after returning from The Hague, where Ukraine and Europe signed an important agreement on the creation of such a tribunal. Zelenskyy stressed that even in a period of acute hostilities and the need for weapons, justice should not be ignored. “We are fully aware that today most of the attention is focused on military support, sanctions and technological means of combating the aggressor. This is important. That is why we are focusing our efforts to ensure the country's defense. But at the same time, justice must be a determining factor in our struggle. We need a tribunal that will prove that criminals will not be able to hide anywhere, and their actions will not go unpunished,” Zelensky stressed. According to the head of state, the creation of such a tribunal is not only a matter of legal responsibility, but also an important signal to the world community and regimes that could potentially resort to such crimes. “We must ensure that the tribunal’s decisions are recognized as widely as possible in the world. It is important that war criminals face a decent level of responsibility and that they have no opportunity to hide or evade punishment anywhere — neither in Europe nor on other continents,” he noted. Zelensky also added that although the war continues and military aid is needed, justice has its place in this process. “The war may end, but truth and justice will remain forever. This will help create an international precedent in which any regime or person prone to criminal acts will understand that responsibility will inevitably come,” the president concluded. Recently, Ukraine and the Council of Europe signed an agreement to establish a special tribunal for crimes of aggression by the Russian Federation, which will be a step towards fair punishment for the leadership of the aggressor country. The new tribunal will have the ability to conduct investigations and pass sentences even in absentia, however, in order to determine the guilt of the leaders — the president, prime minister, and foreign minister — their removal from office is necessary. Recommendations for further development of the process and analysis of this historic agreement can be found in the article “Nuremberg for Putin: All About the Tribunal for the Russian Federation’s Top, Being Created in The Hague.” This is an important step towards international justice and a guarantee that responsibility for the most brutal crimes will not go unpunished.