EU Justice Chief: Peace Deal Must Not Erase Russia’s War Crimes
The European Union has warned Donald Trump that any attempts to pardon Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine would be a “historic mistake of huge proportions.”
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Politico.
European officials, including EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, have called on negotiators to ensure that the pursuit of a peaceful agreement does not lead to Russia evading responsibility for crimes committed during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“I don't think history will judge kindly any effort to wipe the slate clean for Russian crimes in Ukraine,” McGrath said. "They must be held accountable for those crimes, and that will be the approach of the European Union in all of these discussions."
The Commissioner stressed that any amnesty for war crimes, including attacks on civilians and the abduction of children, undermines international justice and could provoke new aggression.
The war in Ukraine has led to numerous crimes against civilians, and Ukrainian authorities have recorded more than 178,000 potential violations. International organizations have confirmed war crimes, including the deportation of civilians and drone attacks on civilian areas.
“Millions of lives have been taken or destroyed, and people forcibly removed, and we have ample evidence,” McGrath said, emphasizing that the EU cannot give up on the rights of the victims of Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, the EU and its partners are working to establish a special tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression and bring Russian leaders to justice. Ukraine expects that the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against it will be fully operational in 2027.
Participants acknowledged in the process that despite political support and the established legal framework, significant organizational obstacles remain. In particular, it is necessary to complete the formation of international structures, agree on the participation of states, and establish a mechanism for paying compensation to victims.
At the same time, the second part of the initiative faces serious financial problems. The tribunal needs at least €75 million annually, but key G7 donors are hesitant, and the lack of US support complicates fundraising. The EU can only cover part of the budget, which creates risks of disrupting the start of work.
The idea of establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine arose in 2022 on the initiative of Ukraine, which was supported by the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and a number of Baltic and Central European states. To work on the concept in practice, Core Group was created with the participation of more than 30 states that began to develop a legal model for the future tribunal.
The concept envisages a tribunal formed by international agreement that will have a mandate to prosecute the highest political and military leadership of the Russian Federation for deciding to attack Ukraine.
Such a mechanism is necessary because existing institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court, cannot consider crimes of aggression against states that have not ratified the Rome Statute.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Estonia has officially joined the governing board of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
Read more on The Gaze: Why Ukraine’s Victory Matters for International Law