Zelenskyy reiterates call for int'l tribunal against Russia

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday reiterated his country's call for the creation of an international tribunal to try Russian officials involved in the war in Ukraine.

"When there is a tradition of inevitable punishment of aggression, then there will be a tradition of guaranteed non-repetition of aggression. If we want true justice, we should not look for excuses, and should not refer to the shortcomings of current international law, but make bold decisions that will correct the shortcomings of those norms that unfortunately exist in international law," Zelenskyy said in a speech in The Hague.

During his speech, Zelenskyy said that lasting peace would be achieved by "strength of values such as freedom and law, which must work to the full to ensure justice," and urged against "hybrid promises," "hybrid peace," and "symbolic formalities."

He said Russia's "special military operation" against Ukraine was the main crime that needed to be accounted for and underlined that this could only be achieved via a tribunal.

Pointing to the 1945 Nuremberg Trials of Nazi officials in the aftermath of World War II as a similar example, he said: "The aggressor must fear the full power of justice ... This is our historical responsibility ... to make the total punishment of aggression inevitable, to prevent aggression against our country and also new wars," Zelenskyy said, adding that there were "potential aggressors" in the world.

Ukrainians are losing their lives in a war they "didn't want," he said, adding that they intended to make it the last such war any country fights.

He also thanked the Netherlands for its military support to Ukraine.

"Victory in the war is won by force of arms. That's how the job gets done. And I'm grateful to you and the Netherlands for every piece of weapons supplied to Ukraine. For everything that helps us to maintain our defense and gradually prepare our active actions," he said.

Zelenskyy arrived in the Netherlands earlier in the day, during which he is scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo.