President Zelensky said conditions for ending the war in Ukraine must include Russians facing trial for war crimes and Moscow must pay war reparations.
Speaking at a diplomatic council in the Netherlands, he said, “All pressure on Russia must remain in place as long as the occupation of our land continues. Russia must feel that it is a criminal and face consequences for that.
“Sanctions must limit Russia until it shows respect for peaceful life and the rights of its neighbors. And of course, of course, every Russian war crime must have consequences – for those who committed them.” Zelensky continued, “We expect that every mechanism for compensation from the Register of Damage and Claims Commission to the actual payments will start working and receive strong and sufficient international support.”
Last week, the European Union announced the International Claims Commission (ICC) to compensate Kiev for damages caused during the war. The Register of Damage will be used to determine payouts. While the EU did not announce how the ICC will be funded, an official told Reuters that the bloc is considering using the frozen Russian assets held by European countries.
The conditions laid out by Zelensky on Tuesday will likely be rejected by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has said that it is willing to settle the war on its terms, which include Kiev making territorial concessions.
Russian forces are slowly taking territory across the front lines. The Kremlin says if Zelensky does not agree to Putin’s terms, it will continue the war until Moscow’s objectives are met.
