Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Russia to be prosecuted for its war of aggression and war crimes. Without justice, no peace is possible, Zelenskyj said today in The Hague.
He cited the Nuremberg trials against the German National Socialists after the Second World War as a model for a tribunal. “A lasting peace is only possible if we also hold the aggressors accountable,” Zelenskyj said.
“Of course we would all have preferred to see a different Vladimir here in The Hague today,” he said at the beginning of his speech, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyj’s first name is the Ukrainian form of the name.
Praise for ICC
Selenskyj praised the use of the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague. He initiated investigations shortly after the Russian invasion and issued an international arrest warrant against Putin for alleged war crimes in March. Selenskyj was convinced that Putin would actually be brought before the court in The Hague.
The President had previously also visited the Criminal Court during this first official visit to the Netherlands. He would later meet Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, among others.
It is currently considered impossible that Putin will actually be tried in The Hague. To do this, the Russian President would have to be extradited. Russia does not recognize the court in The Hague.
