Ukraine in Davos urges to consolidate efforts to create Special Tribunal against Russia, damage compensation mechanism

KYIV. Jan 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Special Tribunal to hold the Russian Federation accountable for war crimes in Ukraine and the mechanism to pay compensation for damages are the most realistic ways to punish the aggressor and prevent the recurrence of such wars in the world, but their practical implementation requires greater and speedy consolidation of the civilized world, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak has said.

"Now more than ever, we need the consolidated international support for the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution to establish the tribunal," he said at the opening of the UKRAINE IS YOU project by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and the PinchukArtCentre in Davos on Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Yermak recalled that Russia was recognized by the General Assembly as an aggressor state, at the same time, an international tribunal is required, since the International Criminal Court does not have such jurisdiction, and the tribunal will be able to work much faster and more efficiently, bringing charges of a crime against humanity in two or three month.

"Ukraine, together with partner states, is doing everything possible to create this special tribunal," Yermak said, pointing out that all 80,000 crimes of Russians should receive an appropriate assessment.

The head of the President’s Office also said that the issue of compensating for the enormous damage caused by Russia is no less important.

According to him, the UN General Assembly has already agreed on the concept of compensation mechanism, which provides for the creation of the international registry of losses and damage and the International Compensation Commission and the Compensation Fund, which will be financed from Russian assets, including gold and FX reserves.

"We call on our partners to adopt changes to the national legislations to confiscate assets and to transfer them to the Compensation Fund," Yermak said.

Polish President Andrzej Duda also noted at the opening of the project that the people responsible for what happened in Bucha and many other Ukrainian cities should be held criminally liable, so that everyone who only has the thought of doing something like this knows that he will be punished.

Duda said that we must do everything to protect future generations from such a danger.

Duda said that the opening of this project in Davos is very important so that all participants understand what kind of war is going on in Ukraine now: not some imaginary war of the 21st century on monitors, but destructive and brutal with numerous civilian casualties, similar to the Second World War.

As the President of Poland stated, there is only one way to end this war – the Russians must be expelled from Ukraine and punished.

Victor Pinchuk during the opening of the project explained: its goal is for the Davos participants to feel like a Ukrainian for a moment and feel all the horrors of the war. He added that the tragedy in Dnipro, his hometown, where his daughter is now, should once again force partners to give Ukraine the necessary weapons to shoot down such missiles.

"We need urgent and strong support," the Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist said.

Pinchuk also said that the war has many fronts, and the cultural front is also a powerful weapon that is important for victory.