Prime Minister and EU Commissioner Didier Reynders discuss Russia’s liability for crimes of aggression and reparation to Ukraine through the use of sanctioned assets
On 9 February, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has met with European Commissioner Didier Reynders to discuss support for Ukraine, international response to Russia’s military aggression and war crimes in Ukraine, also the possibility of using Russian assets frozen under EU sanctions to compensate for the damage caused to Ukraine and to help rebuild the country.
‘Our actions, already now, must send an unequivocal warning message that Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, including the original source of the crime of aggression, will not be ignored and that their organisers and perpetrators will not go unpunished. We must also find legal ways to use the Russian assets frozen by sanctions to rebuild Ukraine. No one will bring back the lives lost and the deprived childhood, but the perpetrator must pay for the damage it inflicted on Ukraine, and which continues to grow day by day,’ said Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
Lithuania’s Head of Government has underlined the need to keep up and increase the pressure on Russia and Belarus through sanctions in a united effort, as Russia’s unprovoked and brutal war continues. It is equally important to maximise the prevention of circumvention of sanctions, acting both at national level and through common European mechanisms, said Ingrida Šimonytė. Lithuania would in principle welcome the possibility of extending the mandate of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in this process.
The Prime Minister has welcomed the EC’s proposal to establish an International Coordination Centre for the Prosecution of Russia’s Crime of Aggression. Lithuania sees this as a first step towards the Special Tribunal.
Eurojust, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, could also play an important role in contributing to the investigation of the crime of aggression committed by Russia, noted the parties at the meeting.