Building a Web of Accountability for Russia’s Crimes in Ukraine: Domestic and International Challenges

Russia’s armed forces and proxy troops have committed an array of mass atrocities in Ukraine, including widespread and systematic attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, arbitrary detentions, torture and ill treatment, rape and other sexual violence, and the forcible displacement of thousands of children. The evidence suggests that Russia is using war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide to extinguish Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and national identity. To hold Russia—as well as individual perpetrators—accountable, Ukraine and its partners will need to coordinate between Ukrainian courts, the International Criminal Court, a United Nations special tribunal for Russian aggression, the EU-US Joint Investigation Team, third states conducting investigations under the principle of universal jurisdiction, and more.In this event, Hudson Senior Fellow Luke Coffey will discuss Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine and the various avenues for prosecuting the crimes and seeking justice with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.