Hansard

I am grateful to Jenni Minto for bringing the debate to the chamber, especially since this Friday marks one year since Russia’s full-scale, illegal invasion of Ukraine. As we reflect on the anniversary, we should reiterate our solidarity with, and our support for, Ukraine and its people.

Millions have had to flee their homes, and tens of thousands of people have been killed. The aggression that Russia has committed against Ukraine, in particular in the past 12 months, has rightfully been condemned, but people must be held accountable, too.

Article 8 bis of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court defines “an act of aggression” as

“the use of armed force by a State against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another State”;

and a “crime of aggression” as

“the planning, preparation, initiation or execution, by a person”

exercising control over the

“military action of a State, of an act of aggression which, by its character, gravity and scale, constitutes a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations.”

As Jenni Minto set out, there have been calls for the establishment of an ad hoc special tribunal to investigate whether Russia’s political and military leadership have committed the crime of aggression, and to prosecute when that is so.

That would be in addition to the several on-going investigations into Russia’s conduct in Ukraine, including at the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Of course, some of the alleged crimes that have been reported pre-date the February 2022 invasion.

Putin’s invasion has led to the deaths not only of brave Ukrainian soldiers protecting their country, but of many civilians. Last week’s figures from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights showed that there have been about 19,000 confirmed civilian casualties in Ukraine, with 7,199 civilians killed. The true figure is probably much higher.

The war has also forced millions of Ukrainians from their homes into safer parts of the country, to neighbours such as Poland and even as far as these isles. Indeed, this is the largest refugee crisis and forced movement of people across Europe since the second world war. It is absolutely right that Europe is united in its opposition to Putin’s actions and that countries do everything that they can to support refugees who are fleeing from terror.

Last night’s event in the Parliament, “Postcards from Ukraine”, highlighted the cultural damage of Russia’s invasion, including the destruction of heritage sites, and reinforced the need for other countries to give solidarity and support to the Ukrainians to fight against Putin and preserve their democracy and culture.

I hope that we see a Ukrainian victory. That is the best outcome for Ukraine as well as for longer-term peace and stability in Europe. Putin’s illegal invasion has rightly seen him and his cronies sanctioned. His Government is ever more isolated on the world stage. However, justice must also be served. A special tribunal on Russian aggression in Ukraine would help to do that by investigating the actions that have been committed under Putin and his generals during this illegal war and prosecuting those responsible for war crimes, crimes against civilians and, possibly, attempted genocide. Accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine must be secured.