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At the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, addressed participants in the meeting of the Group of Friends of Accountability for the Aggression against Ukraine highlighting the need to ensure the delivery of justice and calling Russia to account. The focus of the meeting is placed on the Initiative of Restoring Justice for Ukraine aimed at ensuring Russia’s accountability for its war crimes and aggression against Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Baiba Braže: “Latvia knows from its historical experience how important it is to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression in order to ensure future peace and security – not only in Ukraine, but globally. The USSR leaders have never faced international accountability for any crimes committed before, during and after World War II, including in the occupied Baltic states. Today we see the consequences of this impunity. Impunity breeds future generations of war criminals, rapists, and murderers.
The Special Tribunal will be an important international legal mechanism to ensure accountability for Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine. With its establishment, for the first time since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, we will be able to bring to justice Russia’s senior officials for the crime of aggression. Only justice will ensure lasting peace and strengthen a rules-based international order in line with the principles of the UN Charter and resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly.”
Latvia welcomes what has been achieved by the Council of Europe to date, including an Agreement signed between the Council of Europe and Ukraine on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, and negotiations on setting up of an International Claims Commission for Ukraine. These steps are vital for bringing justice for Ukraine and holding Russia accountable.
- The UN high-level Group of Friends of Accountability for the Aggression against Ukraine was established on 25 March 2022 to strengthen international cooperation and support for investigation into Russia’s crimes of aggression and war crimes and holding Russia to account. The present gathering was the fourth annual meeting.
- The Group of Friends of Accountability for the Aggression against Ukraine comprises: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and the European Union.
- Baiba Braže together with EU ministers in Lviv: Ukraine is Europe, and will become part of the European Union