European Council: Russia Must Be Held Accountable for Its Crimes in Ukraine

European leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion during a European Council summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Tuesday. Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's receipt of military aid promises during his visits to several European countries, including Germany, the UK, and France, this two-day summit will focus on establishing legal and judicial requirements to condemn the Kremlin. European leaders aim to design a system that records all damages caused by Russian forces and holds Moscow accountable for reparations. They hope that the United States, participating as an observer, will support this initiative. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated, 'This plan is just one of the international initiatives to ensure accountability for the crimes committed in Ukraine.' The European Council also seeks to ensure that Russia is held accountable for the numerous crimes committed during its invasion of Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed strong support for the establishment of a special court to prosecute Russia, although plans for such a court in The Hague have not yet materialized. The summit will also focus on the issues faced by children forcibly transferred from Ukraine to Russia during the invasion. In March of this year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children's Rights in Russia, due to their personal responsibility for the abduction of children from Ukraine and their transfer to Russia. On the first day of the European Council summit in Reykjavik, alongside Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also spoke in support of Ukraine. This occurred on the same day that Russia launched an attack on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, using a combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.