Russia faces war crimes investigation over bombing civilians in Ukraine
March 3, 2022, 8:13 am

Russia faces war crimes investigation over bombing civilians in Ukraine

Russian invasion against Ukraine (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

The BBC reported that an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine has been launched, after Russia was accused of bombing civilians.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor said evidence was being collected on alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

It came after 39 nations called for an inquiry to be opened.

Cities including the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson have come under heavy shelling in recent days.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has already accused Moscow of war crimes, after it launched air strikes on the country's second city of Kharkiv, killing civilians.

Earlier this week, the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan said he planned to open an investigation into events in Ukraine "as rapidly as possible" but the referral from 39 nations - including the UK, France and Germany - allowed it to be launched without the need for judicial approval.

Woman confronts armed Russian soldier in Ukraine
"Take these seeds so sunflowers grow here when you die." This is the moment a woman confronted an armed Russian soldier in the city of Henichesk in Ukraine. Follow live coverage on Russia's invasion of Ukraine: https://bit.ly/3IqbcQt
Posted by BBC News on Friday, February 25, 2022

He will look at past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and will go as far back as 2013, before Russia's annexation of Crimea the following year.

The ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the most serious crimes concerning the international community, where states cannot or are unwilling to do so.

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The court does not have its own police force and relies on state co-operation to arrest suspects. Penalties imposed by the ICC can include prison sentences and fines.

Ukraine's state emergency service has said more than 2,000 civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion began last Thursday, although the figure has not been independently verified.

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The United Nations' high commissioner for refugees said some one million people had already fled the country.

Source: BBC

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.