EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed to “leave no stone unturned” to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and others responsible for alleged crimes committed during the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine as the international community opened a new office in The Hague to investigate and gather evidence for any future trials.
"We will leave no stone unturned to hold Putin and his henchmen accountable," von der Leyen said in a statement on July 3 marking the opening of the International Center For The Prosecution Of The Crime Of Aggression (ICPA).
"The new international prosecution center will play a key role in making sure that the perpetrators are brought to justice," she added.
The new center, at the offices of the EU’s Eurojust justice agency, includes prosecutors from Ukraine, the EU, the United States, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is also located in The Hague.
The ICC has previously issued international arrest warrants for Putin on suspicion of war crimes, including the alleged deportation of children to Russia from Ukraine.
The new center looks to plug some gaps in the ICC’s jurisdiction, which does not allow it to prosecute crimes of aggression -- a key charge leveled against the Kremlin in its unprovoked February 2022 attack on Ukraine.
The Eurojust agency has already established a database for evidence on war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to the war.
“With the setup of the ICPA, the European Union reiterates its commitment to ensuring full accountability for the international crimes committed during Russia’s war against Ukraine, including the crime of aggression,” European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said.
He added that the ICPA is a “clear signal to the world that the prohibition of the use of force continues to be the foundation of our international rule-based order and that those who violate it will be held accountable.”
Ukraine Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, speaking at the center’s opening, said a special tribunal for Russian leadership was now "inevitable."
"We are gathered here on the occasion of a truly historic moment. I would say an epoch-defining moment," Kostin told reporters.
In an interview before the opening, Kostin said that "we need experts, we need forensics, we need additional information, including intelligence information, in order for this case to be strong, because we all know that the crime of aggression is the leadership crime."
Ukrainian officials have pressed for a special tribunal since the killing of civilians was discovered in the town of Bucha in April 2022 following the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Russia has denied it targets civilians, despite evidence and witnesses to the contrary. It has also labeled its invasion a "special military operation" and forbids the use of the word "war" among reports in Russia.