The International Criminal Court (ICC) will launch an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine. The ICC prosecutor on Monday announced plans to investigate grounds to hold Russia accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The decision came hours after the peace talks in Belarus between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations ended with no resolution and no ceasefire. The war continues even after the two parties have met.
Karim Khan said the the investigation will look at any parties which have invaded and launched an attack in Ukraine. The investigation will commence as soon as possible. Belarus, which is the middleman in the key talks between Russia and the Ukraine, will also be held liable when it is found to have been involved in the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia launched attacks on residential areas in the Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv on Monday and the assault has not stopped even when negotiators of the two parties met for the first round of peace talks. While the Russian army launches an attack on Ukraine, the Western response has been relentless and very swift. Russia has been hit with sanctions which are starting to have a toll on the Russian people.
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Russia is being cut off from sport events and is being isolated from the world as the shelling continues in the Ukraine. The increasing sanctions started having a toll on Russians on Monday when the Russian ruble took a plunge.
The decision by the ICC to launch an investigation comes less than a week since Russia launched an all-out war against Ukraine. “I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine,” Khan said in a statement.
Source: NBC News, Aljazeera News, NPR, image from NBC News
