Ending Russian impunity: Why Ukraine needs justice as well as security

6 comments

1. Justice, in a real, large scale war? Yeah, good luck with that.

2. > Failing to hold Russia accountable for crimes committed in Ukraine would set a disastrous precedent for the future of international security, and would create the conditions for more war.

   I agree. All war criminals must be held accountable by the ICJ. War crimes cannot go unpunnished (no matter who the perpetrator is) and there cannot be any “we only look forward, and don’t look back” bullshit. There must be established a Truth and Reconciliation commission that can establish the facts and provide as many answers as possible to loved ones. Anyone guilty of warcrimes and crimes against humanity must be permanently sanctioned by the EU and never allowed an Entry Visa to enter the EU.

3. > Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian authorities have been vocal about the need to document Russian war crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. Many of Kyiv’s partners have provided extensive backing for these efforts. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has initiated investigative proceedings, and has issued a number of warrants for the arrest of senior Kremlin officials including Russian President Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges. This trend is welcome and must continue.

   100% truth. Full support must be given to the ICJ in its efforts to hold war criminals to account. Shout out also to the wonderful work that groups like Bellingcat do in documenting this.

4. Statehood*
   impunity was a typo

5. I still don’t wrap my head around the fact that we have to discuss this. The perpetrator of the war sat in front of the camera of his own propaganda television at the beginning of the war and said quite clearly and unambiguously that he sees the “existence of the Ukrainians” as a threat to “his civilization.” Even more, in the same speech, under threat of nuclear attack, he ordered the removal of all protection for all former “eastern bloc” states, thereby denying numerous nations their right to freedom and sovereignty.

   How fucked are our media and our politics that three years into the war so many people still are not aware of russia’s intentions and motives?!

6. The only thing that can fix russia is forcing them to take responsibility for their crimes.

   It has never happened, so they think it’s impossible, that’s why they are so fucked up.