Russia's crimes must be punished
While Russia and the United States say they have started peace negotiations in Russia's war in Ukraine, these discussions will not culminate in the “enduring peace” that Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, seeks.
A crucial hurdle to negotiating peace is dealing with the extensive record of Russian war crimes and atrocities committed against Ukrainians, which has yet to happen.
The harsh occupation, war crimes and genocidal intent behind Russia's invasion is why Ukraine has always called for justice in its peace proposals. While it is unlikely Vladimir Putin or any other Russian leader will ever be brought before the International Criminal Court, opportunities exist for reparations, for restitution, and for accountability.
U.S.Ukrainian relations have deteriorated in recent days after Ukraine was not party to the negotiations and U.S. President Donald Trump parroted Russian narratives about the war, even claiming Ukraine started Russia's imperialistic invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
At the same time, Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, is visiting Ukraine and says his job is to “listen.” I hope he listens to his Ukrainian hosts and I hope they show him the realities of what Russia has done to their nation so they can be held accountable for these crimes.
I have spent most of the past three years tracking Russian atrocities while also contextualizing them through the lens of Russian memory politics. Russian authorities have abducted tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Ukrainian children. Russian forces have committed sexual violence against Ukrainian men and women. Russian forces torture and execute Ukrainian POWs. Russia “Russifies” occupied territories by implementing Russian education curriculums, demanding Ukrainians adopt Russian passports and removing Ukrainian symbols and names from the landscape.
It is also no secret that Russia acts as if it is replaying the Second World War through its claims of “denazifying” Ukraine. In Russia, the narrative of the Second World War focuses on the defeat of Nazism. The narrative explicitly downplays or ignores Russia's own history of collaboration, as well as the harsh policies and atrocities the Soviet Union implemented and committed during and after the war.
So, what does the Soviet past have to do with the Russian present?
The Soviet Union was never held accountable for the war crimes and atrocities it committed during the Second World War. Putin sees the failure to prosecute Soviet crimes in the past as permission to commit crimes today.
When I recently travelled to Poland to present my research, many of the scholars I talked to echoed this point. They all pointed out the importance of justice in any resolution of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Ultimately, this comes to the crux of the RussianU.S. negotiations. If they are truly about seeing if a foundation exists for an “enduring peace,” the discussions must include recognition and accountability for Russian crimes.
Currently, American rhetoric focuses on ending the fighting. While this goal is certainly honourable, it is only a first step. I fear that chips like NATO membership being removed from the table unilaterally and no concessions from Russia will limit the opportunities for any true resolution.
A ceasefire or peace will solely stop the fighting, even if only temporarily. Millions of Ukrainians will be left to survive under Russian occupation, condemned to their fates. This is why Ukraine has continued to fight for liberation.
Lest we repeat the same mistakes made with the Soviet Union; if Russia is let off the hook for its crimes, what may Putin or future Russian leaders learn from its aggression in Ukraine?