Ukraine expects UNGA to adopt resolution calling for Russia to be punished for crime of aggression – Yermak

The relevant statement was made by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak during the opening ceremony at the ‘Ukraine. Crucifixion. Tribunal’ international exhibition, which opened 100 meters from the UN building in New York (866 United Nations Plaza), an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to the Office of the President of Ukraine.

The exhibition opened at the initiative of the Office of the President of Ukraine on March 31, the day of the liberation of Bucha from Russian invaders. It is dedicated to the crimes of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and is presented on the eve of the UN’s consideration of the creation of an International Tribunal that will punish Russia for the crime of aggression.

The exhibition is organized by the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War with the support of the Office of the President of Ukraine. It testifies to Russian crimes against the civilian population, children, and prisoners of war, as well as international humanitarian law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

More than 1,000 exhibits collected during field expeditions to the recently de-occupied territories, where Russians had been causing terror against civilians, are displayed within an area of about 2,000 square meters.

At the opening ceremony, Yermak noted that Ukraine considers the creation of the International Special Tribunal for the Russian leadership extremely important. In his words, as of late March 2023, a total of 90,000 war crimes were registered in Ukraine.

“Russia’s war crimes are so brazen and obvious that the International Criminal Court recently issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. First of all, the main and primary crime committed by the President of Russia is the very act of aggression,” Yermak said.

Meanwhile, according to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, not only Putin is to blame for the aggression against Ukraine. Dozens of people from his circle participated in its organization.

“All these people must get what they deserve. For this purpose, a special tribunal must be created to try and punish them,” Yermak stressed.

The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine mentioned that the crime of aggression is fundamental, and it is the ‘mother of all crimes’. Everyone suspected of committing it must be brought to justice.

In March 2022, the Office of the President of Ukraine launched a campaign to create the tribunal.

“For three months, we received the support of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Since then, national parliaments across Europe have adopted dozens of decisions in support of this initiative. The group of 33 states, which is developing the operating model of the tribunal, has already held its second meeting. The interim prosecutor’s office in The Hague is about to start gathering evidence of the Russian crime of aggression. And finally, what is very important, the UN General Assembly would adopt a resolution calling to punish Russia for the crime of aggression,” Yermak noted.

In his words, Ukraine expects the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution calling for Russia to be punished for the crime of aggression.

“On behalf of my fellow countrymen who are suffering, I urge all of you to support this resolution. And I ask you to do everything possible to bring the terrorist state to justice for its crimes,” Yermak concluded.