Countries urged to rally behind court probes in Ukraine

Ukraine’s justice officials and the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court have appealed to countries around the world to boost funding and support for the global court’s investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine to ensure Russia is held accountable

Ukraine’s justice officials and the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court appealed Monday to countries around the world to boost funding and support for the global court’s investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine to ensure Russia is held accountable.

Justice ministers from over 40 countries travelled to London for the war crimes conference, jointly hosted by Britain and the Netherlands, aimed at rallying extra support for the International Criminal Court’s probes into atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

The conference came days after the global court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility in the abduction of children from Ukraine. Friday’s move was the first time the court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

“We share the belief that President Putin and the wider leadership must be held to account,” Britain’s Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said as he opened the meeting. “Let’s make sure that we back up our words with deeds, that we back up our moral support with practical means to effectively investigate these awful crimes.”

Britain pledged an additional 395,000 pounds ($484,000) in support for the ICC, bringing its funding for the court to 1 million pounds. The U.K. government said other countries were also expected to pledge funding for the court’s investigations.

Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, said the warrant for Putin was not a moment of triumph but a “somber occasion” reminding the world of the need for joint action to deliver justice for Ukraine.

“If we don’t at this moment of world affairs cling to the law, if we don’t look at ourselves and ask how we can do better … we will not only miss an opportunity but we may not have further opportunities,” Khan said.

Andriy Kostin, prosecutor-general of Ukraine, said the abduction and transport of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia was part of a “clear plan” by Russia to “destroy Ukraine and Ukrainian identity.”

His office has already launched investigations into over 72,000 incidents of war crimes in his country, he added.

Kostin also urged world leaders to back the establishment of a special international tribunal in order to investigate and prosecute Russia's leaders for the broader crime of aggression. The European Union, among others, have supported the idea, although some are concerned that such a tribunal could undermine the ICC's mandate.

The arrest warrant against Putin may damage his international standing, but its practical implications are likely limited, not least because Moscow does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction or extradite its nationals. Russian officials dismissed the ICC's move as “legally null and void.”