The European Union is creating an international center in The Hague for consideration of criminal prosecutions in Ukraine. “This will coordinate the collection of evidence,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during her visit to Kyiv.
The EU has long sought ways to help Ukraine prosecute crimes committed in the country since the Russian invasion. For example, EU countries such as the Netherlands have sent forensic experts and shared knowledge and equipment. The EU is also seeking support for a special “aggression tribunal” to prosecute those responsible for the invasion. “Russia must be held accountable for its heinous crimes,” von der Leyen said.
The new center will work closely with the existing EU agency Eurojust, based in The Hague, and the joint investigation team, which includes Ukraine and six other countries. Eurojust is an EU agency that coordinates cooperation in the field of criminal prosecution between member states. The committee announced the plan earlier and received support from EU member states in recent days.
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The European Commission will arrive in Kyiv on Thursday with a large delegation. Apart from the court in The Hague, Ukraine’s planned accession to the EU will also be discussed there. “We are here together to show that the EU remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine,” President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter, captioning a photo of her arrival at the train station. “And to further deepen our support and cooperation.”
“Our presence in Kyiv today sends a clear signal: the entire EU is here for Ukraine,” von der Leyen said during her speech this afternoon, standing next to Ukrainian President Zelensky. It also marked almost the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The year of injured Ukrainians, but also the year of legendary heroism.”
Source : HLN
