Zelenskyy Calls for Creation of an Instrument to Compensate Victims of Russian Aggression

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested the creation of a compensation mechanism for victims of Russian aggression.

He virtually addressed the Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague on Thursday.

The president noted that only since the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24 the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine have registered over 34,000 crimes related to Russian aggression.

He emphasized the need to create a special tribunal to prosecute the crimes of aggression.

"The existing judicial institutions for jurisdictional reasons, cannot bring to justice all those guilty of the primary crime of aggression. That is why we need a Special Tribunal regarding this crime - Russian aggression against Ukraine. A Tribunal that will ensure the fair and lawful punishment of those who started this history of disasters and tragedies," said Zelenskyy.

In addition to such a tribunal, we need an instrument for compensating all damages caused by Russian aggression.

"Time is merciless and plays into the hands of Russia. People can't wait long for justice. If justice is delayed, people feel as if there is no justice. It is necessary to give the victims of crimes full assistance and to rebuild everything destroyed by this aggression. The aggressor must lose both on the battlefield and at the level of meanings so that the war becomes a heavy loss, first of all, for the aggressor, not the victims," stated Zelenskyy.

He added that, in Ukraine's opinion, compensation for losses could be made at the expense of Russian assets and funds located outside Russia in other jurisdictions. He thanked Canada for working to make their legislation allow for this kind of reimbursement process and transfer them to the reconstruction of Ukraine. He called to make this process global.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday also called for the creation of a Special Tribunal to bring the highest military and political leadership of the Russian Federation to justice and laid out 5 of its parameters.