Expel Russian ambassador and set up tribunal to prosecute Putin for war crimes, Labour says

UK has allowed Andrei Kelin to stay, believing he helps ministers convey demands to Moscow

Labour is calling for the expulsion of the Russian ambassador and a special tribunal to prosecute Vladimir Putin personally for war crimes in Ukraine.

Boris Johnson is being urged to toughen his stance amid worldwide revulsion at the brutality unleashed by Russian forces, revealed as its troops pull back from around Kyiv.

Italy is ordering 30 Russian diplomats out of the country, after Germany expelled 40 and France 35 in a wave of diplomatic action by European powers.

Liz Truss, the foreign secretary is understood not to be planning any expulsions from London – because the 23 Russian diplomats kicked out over the Novichok poisonings in Salisbury in 2018 have left few in place.

And the UK has pulled back from expelling the ambassador, in the belief the presence of Andrei Kelin is a way for ministers to convey British demands to Moscow.

But David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said the UK should follow Lithuania, which has announced the expulsion of the Russian ambassador.

“The sickening actions committed by Vladimir Putin and his cronies in Ukraine undoubtedly amount to war crimes,” Mr Lammy said.

“There should be no place for Russia’s ambassador to parrot the regime’s lies or intelligence agents to continue their hostile activity in the UK.

“Alongside expelling Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council, we should set up a special tribunal to personally prosecute Putin and his gangster regime.”

This map shows the extent of Russian invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images)

The International Criminal Court in The Hague is investigating Russia for crimes against humanity and war crimes – but some leading international lawyers fear this will let Putin off the hook.

They want a special tribunal to investigate the Russian president personally for waging an illegal war under the crime of aggression, dating back to the post-war Nuremberg trials.

The ICC has not been given jurisdiction over the crime of aggression – because the world’s biggest powers fear such a move could one day be used against them.

Ms Truss has called for Russia to be suspended from the UN Human Rights Council, a move that Labour is backing.

Joe Biden has said, unequivocally, that the horrifying scenes from places such as Bucha do constitute a war crime.

The US President told reporters on Monday: “You saw what happened in Bucha – he is a war criminal.

“We have to continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons they need to continue the fight, and we have to gather all the detail so this can be an actual war crimes trial.”