‘Ukrainians require justice now, not in distant future’: Foreign minister

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Tuesday that his people need justice for Russia’s actions now as the more than two-year-long conflict continues.

“Let me be frank. Ukrainians require justice now. Not in the distant future. They do not want to hear that justice will be served. They want to see it already served. Not only on the battlefield, but in the courtrooms and real decisions as well,” Kuleba said at the Restoring Justice for Ukraine international conference at The Hague.

Expressing that he knows international justice takes time, Kuleba urged every effort possible to serve justice and deliver tangible results, whether in "small or big steps."

Kuleba said he commends steps that have been taken and overall efforts to make Russia accountable for its actions by the international community that are ongoing, but more work awaits.

“Together, we work to ensure the maximum effectiveness of national actions, more arrest warrants from the ICC (International Criminal Court), and accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” said Kuleba, indicating it is important to establish an “international compensation mechanisms” and one to confiscate frozen Russian assets.

He went on to say that the efforts require three things -- effective international coordination, persistence of efforts and “unity in pursuing our common cause of serving justice.”

Touching on events in Bucha and other cities at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Kuleba said Europe will never be the same.

"We will only have the right to call ourselves Europeans when justice to them and their relatives is served. The world will only feel safe when Russia is held accountable for what it has done," he said.