(Washington) The United States declared itself Tuesday in favor of the creation of a special tribunal to judge Russian “aggression” in Ukraine, which would be “rooted in the Ukrainian judicial system”.
“The United States supports the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine as an international court that is rooted in the Ukrainian judicial system and includes international elements,” said a spokesperson for the US State Department.
The official specifies that Washington wishes to obtain “significant international support, in particular from our European partners” and that the tribunal be “ideally located in another country in Europe”.
It is the first time that the United States, traditionally recalcitrant in the face of international justice, has explicitly said that it is in favor of the creation of such a tribunal to try crimes committed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. 2022, an idea also supported by Europeans who had mentioned its creation in November of last year.
The announcement comes days after the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war crime of “deporting” Ukrainian children in connection with the Moscow offensive against Ukraine.
Russia, however, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.
The ICC only has jurisdiction over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine, not the “crime of aggression” committed by Russia, attributable to its most senior leaders.
On Monday, US Envoy for International Justice Beth Van Schaack said the United States wanted the tribunal to have international funds and staff.
“We believe that such an internationalized court, but rooted in the Ukrainian judicial system […] will offer the best chance” that justice will be done, she said in a speech.