Zelensky says in The Hague that Putin deserves to be sentenced for crimes in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to face justice for Russia’s crimes in Ukraine during an address in The Hague on Thursday.

“We all want to see a different Vladimir here in The Hague, the one who deserves to be sentenced for these criminal actions right here in the capital of the international law,” Zelensky said. “And I’m sure we will see that happen when we win, and we will win.”

Zelensky pushed once again for the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian crimes in Ukraine.  

“If we want true justice, we should not look for excuses and should not refer to the shortcomings of the current international law but make bold decisions that will correct the shortcomings of those norms that unfortunately exist in international law,” he added on Thursday.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), which is seated in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Putin and another Russian official in March over war crimes charges for their alleged role in the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. 

However, the ICC cannot prosecute the crime of aggression, which could hold Russian leaders accountable for the war, because it lacks jurisdiction in Russia. Moscow is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the court.