The Canadian government will apply to the International Criminal Court to have Russia recognize crimes against humanity and war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine, announced the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada.
” Today [mardi]Canada will make a request to the International Criminal Court against Russia for crimes against humanity and war crimes,” declared Minister Mélanie Joly, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Minister spoke early Tuesday morning, Montreal time. She is in Switzerland for a meeting of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.
“It’s important for Canada to show the world that we are like all our colleagues here at the United Nations against any further invasion of Ukraine,” she said on the sidelines of the event.
Minister Joly added that the version of the facts in Ukraine presented to the UN by her Russian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, “is false”. “And that’s why we want to show a strong common position. »
His remarks were made shortly after the first talks between Moscow and Kyiv on Monday. In the evening, a huge Russian armored convoy nearly 65 km long was seen by satellite images advancing towards Kiev.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he “saw civilians being targeted” by the Russian military operation, which he harshly criticized.
“The crime of [Vladimir] Putin is that he chose to invade a peaceful neighboring country and violated the UN Charter and the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The world will not stand still watching what is happening,” he added.
Canada on Monday announced additional aid for Ukrainians, including the handing over of anti-tank weapons and priority processing of visa applications, as well as new sanctions imposed on Russia, described as the “toughest ever imposed” on a country of this importance.