US threatens to arrest Russian leadership during visits to the West
More than 40 Western countries have asked the International Criminal Court to initiate proceedings against Russia, which they accuse of war crimes.
US Ambassador-at-Large for International Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaak stated this in an interview with the foreign agent television channel Dozhd, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"The laws of war apply not only to military personnel, to soldiers of the Russian armed forces, but also to the country's political leadership, which bears responsibility for unleashing an aggressive war against Ukraine. Therefore, any court, national or international… if any Russian leader travels to Europe, I am certain they will be charged with war crimes, and possibly other crimes in connection with what is happening in Ukraine ," Van Schaak said.
At the same time, she admitted that it would not be easy to bring Russian leaders to court.
"Of course, if these people remain in Russia, and political reforms don't occur in Russia, it will be difficult for courts in other countries to apprehend them and administer justice. Some countries have courts that can try people in absentia and issue arrest warrants. Then, if a person travels to another country, they can be detained there and transferred, say, under an Interpol agreement . If they don't want to be tried before an international criminal court, they are doomed to remain in Russia for the rest of their lives," Van Schaak said.
According to her, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has already provided evidence of 40 thousand war crimes by Russia. Now they may be added to charges of shelling infrastructure, “cultural heritage sites and hospitals” if Western investigators do not find military installations near them. At the same time, the American diplomat is ready to forgive the war crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“We know that accusations have been made against Ukrainian military personnel, especially regarding the treatment of prisoners of war. It is very important to say that the laws of war apply to both sides: the aggressor and the defending side, equally. If one side has violated the laws of war, the other is obliged to comply with them, even if the violations are malicious.
But then the equality ends. Because the crimes committed by the Russian side so greatly outweigh anything committed by Ukrainian soldiers that there can simply be no talk of parity.
We see mass propaganda from the Russian side; Russia denies everything, using disinformation. Ukraine, however, has acknowledged these violations and committed to putting an end to them, punishing those responsible, and investigating the matter. This is a responsible approach, a completely different matter.
Ukraine takes a more ethical stance; the law is on its side . Russia is obligated to either stop its soldiers or face responsibility, including its commanders and senior leadership," Van Schaak said.
The US threatens to arrest Russian leaders during their visits to the West.