President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered a speech titled “No Peace without Justice for Ukraine” in The Hague, the city that hosts the International Criminal Court (ICC). This comes at Zelenskyy made a visit to the ICC on Thursday, May 4, 2023. He was welcomed outside the ICC building by the court’s President, Poland’s Piotr Hofmański.
With a “No peace without justice for Ukraine” sign behind him, President Zelenskyy begun his speech by thanking his audience for having him in The Hague. Speaking in English, The Ukrainian President expressed his gratitude for their attention and respect for his country and for those people who “value freedom and don’t tolerate tyranny”.
Referring to Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy declared, “We all want to see a different Vladimir here [at the home of the International Criminal Court].” Putin is “the one who deserves to be sentenced for criminal actions in the capital of international law,” he said. Zelenskyy added, “I am sure we will see that happen when we win.”
Moreover, Zelenskyy averred that more than the fate of one country is at stake in this war, adding that we “cannot stop wars of aggression, but can defeat aggression as a criminal idea that originates in the mindset of someone who is used to impunity.”
“If you look at any war of aggression, they all have one thing in common – the perpetrator of the war did not believe they would have to stand to answer for what they did.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy stressed that war is won by “force of arms”, and thanked the Netherlands for supplying weapons to Ukraine. “A lasting peace after victory is achieved by nothing else but strength of values,” he iterated.
Also, Zelenskyy disclosed in his speech that about 6,139 war crimes have been committed by Russians in the month of April alone. He stated that these crimes have led to the deaths of 207 Ukrainian civilians, including 11 children. He mentioned an attack on Kherson on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, which killed 23 and injured another 49.
The Ukrainian President made reference to “millions” of strikes in the Donbas regions, people killed during the occupation of Bucha, an alleged filtration camp that “Russia has set up in our independent land” as well as “every prisoner tortured in Russian captivity and every city bombed by Russia.”
Following this statement, the audience stood as Zelenskyy led a minute of silence in memory of the lives lost following the invasion.
Zelenskyy Calls For The Creation Of A War Crimes Tribunal
After that moment of silence, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, spoke about how war crimes can be addressed by the international community. “This is a crime of aggression, the start of evil the primary crime,” he stressed.
Zelenskyy called for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal and referred to the Nuremberg process; trials which were held by the Allies against representatives of defeated Nazi Germany. Zelenskyy added that there are shortcomings in current international law.
The Ukrainian President stressed that only a tribunal would be capable of holding these “crimes of aggression” to account. He professed that it is unfair to future generations to give them “problems we can’t solve” and that it’s “wrong that someone is afraid to give full force to justice.”
Zelenskyy divulged that Ukrainian courts will ensure Russian occupiers take responsibility for most of their crimes. He expressed gratitude to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he said, is working for justice.
Again, Zelenskyy thanked the Dutch political leadership for being with Ukraine “on this path”. He also lauded the Netherlands for honoring the memories of lives lost in the Second World War. He described the current conflict in Ukraine as “the war we didn’t want, the one we have to make the last and we will do it”.
Zelenskyy concluded his address by saying, “slava Ukraini” which means “glory to Ukraine.” It was met with applause from the audience.
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