Hussar and Mihkelson emphasized the importance of holding Russia to account
At the meeting with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset today, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson emphasized the importance of establishing a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and holding Russia to account.
Hussar said at the meeting that the only path to a just and lasting peace in Europe was to support Ukraine in the war of aggression initiated by Russia until Ukraine had won the war. He acknowledged the efforts of the Council of Europe to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and to create a comprehensive compensation mechanism based on the principle that Russia must compensate Ukraine for the damage caused by its aggression. “Russia must be brought to account for the war crimes and the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine. Holding Russia to account is a step towards a just and lasting peace,” he said.
In February, the Riigikogu became the first parliament to approve the Council of Europe agreement establishing the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and a month later, the convention establishing the International Claims Commission for Ukraine was ratified. Hussar called on other countries to ratify these agreements as soon as possible.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson highlighted the role of the Council of Europe in defending law and justice in Europe. “If we want to restore peace and stability in Europe, we must do everything in our power to ensure that crimes of aggression do not go unpunished,” he said. According to him, the visit of the Secretary General is extremely important, as it takes place before the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers meeting, which will be held in Moldova at the end of this week, and where a resolution to approve the establishing of the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal is expected to be adopted, thereby taking a step forward in the establishment of the Special Tribunal.
Mihkelson pointed out that Russia’s strategic objectives had not changed, therefore Europe must do even more than before to help Ukraine achieve victory. “Today we can be more optimistic than a few months ago, because Ukraine is fighting bravely, we are supporting them, and following the elections in Hungary, Europe is more united, but we have not done enough,” he noted, adding that therefore it was necessary to increase pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine right now.
According to Mihkelson, Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat would create the conditions for the emergence of a free, united Europe that respects the principles of the rule of law, offering new hope not only to Ukraine but also to Belarus and Georgia. “A defeat in a war of aggression could also give rise to a glimmer of hope in Russia that a society which takes responsibility for its crimes and renounces imperialism might one day, in the distant future, rejoin the European legal community,” he said.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
[email protected]
Questions: [email protected]
