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Statement by H.E. Mr. Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, at the opening of the "Restoring Justice for Ukraine" conference in The Hague
02 April 2024 14:18

Opening remarks  “Restoring Justice for Ukraine”

Ministers, Commissioners, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am sincerely  pleased to co-host, together with the Netherlands and the European Commission, the Ministerial Conference “Restoring Justice for Ukraine.”

I am, of course, grateful to the Netherlands for hosting it and leading the way on Peace Formula item 7, “Restoration of Justice.” I am also grateful to the EU, in particular the European Commission, the European External Action Service, and other EU institutions and bodies for supporting accountability efforts.

Council of Europe also deserves appreciation for its role and ensuring the whole world witnessing the Russian aggression.

Two years ago, in these early April days, the entire Europe and the world stopped in shock. Unspeakable Russian atrocities revealed in Bucha and other towns in the Kyiv region shook the very moral foundations of our continent. Photos of dead bodies with their hands tied behind their backs, lying in the streets and hidden in wells, piles of dead women bodies that their rapists tried to burn down, dead and raped children—the sight of this sheer horror brought back the most petrifying memories of the 20th century.

And unfortunately I remember that night very well. It was the first and only night in two years of war that I literally could not sleep until the morning. And trust me, I have seen a lot and of course it is the worst but nothing comparing to the images coming from Bucha. I thought about those people. How they suffered. How Russians felt impune while raping, killing, shooting down, and burning their victims. I think back then all of us, all Europeans and all normal people around the world, looked into the eyes of pure evil.

Europe after Bucha will never be the same as it was before. And by "Bucha,” I mean, of course, not just victims in this town but also all those innocent Ukrainians brutally murdered in Irpin, Borodyanka, Izyum, Mariupol, and all other cities and towns across Ukraine. 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. As President Zelenskyy just said, “Every potential aggressor should know what awaits him if he ruins peace.” This is why our work today has true global and historical significance.

Russia’s acts of aggression and consequent atrocities must not go unpunished. We must ensure comprehensive accountability, even while the aggression is still ongoing.

This includes accountability for all the violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, and international crimes committed by the Russian Armed Forces and Russian political and military leadership in and against Ukraine.


Dear colleagues,

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. As a foreign minister, I am perfectly aware that international justice always takes time. But as a Ukrainian, I cannot help but urge you to make every effort possible to serve that justice. In small or big steps, but delivering tangible results every week, every month.

In this context I commend the importance of the steps that have already been taken. The fact that international investigators and prosecutors, ICC and others are working, the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression is working. The Register of Damage is there. The work of the Core Group on the crime of aggression against Ukraine continues. And overall accountability efforts by the international community are ongoing. I thank everyone who contributes to them.

But more work awaits us ahead. Together, we work to ensure the maximum effectiveness of national actions, more arrest warrants from the ICC, and accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. It is no less important to establish an international compensation mechanisms and full mechanism to confiscate all frozen Russian assets.

These efforts require three things: effective international coordination, and this is why I am here, persistence of efforts, and this is why we all are here, and unity in pursuing our common cause of serving justice. And again – this is why we are here today.

I wish everyone a productive and effective discussion, which will lead us further on the way to restoring justice for Ukraine. Thank you.

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