The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Trials plea for ‘worst crimes since the Nazis’
Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of committing the “most terrible war crimes” since the Second World War as he called for trials akin to those held after the defeat of the Nazis.
The Ukrainian president said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s forces were creating “mass starvation” and shooting and raping civilians, during a graphic address to the United Nations (UN) Security Council yesterday.
During the UK-convened meeting of the UN’s most powerful body, whose membership includes Russia, Mr Zelensky called for those responsible to be “brought to justice”.
He said the world has yet to see what the Kremlin’s troops have done in other regions after evidence of atrocities was unearthed after their withdrawal from Bucha, near Kyiv.
“Today, as a result of Russia’s actions in our country, in Ukraine, the most terrible war crimes we’ve seen since the end of
World War Two are being committed,” he said in the virtual address.
“Russian troops are deliberately destroying Ukrainian cities to ashes with artillery and air strikes. They are deliberately blocking cities, creating mass starvation.
“They deliberately shoot columns of civilians on the road trying to escape from the hostilities.
“They even deliberately blow up shelters where civilians hide from air strikes.
“The massacre in our city of Bucha is unfortunately only one of many examples.”
Mr Zelensky, in his first address to the council, accused Russia of “wanting to turn Ukraine into silent slaves” and its military of “wide-scale looting”, stealing everything from food to bloodied jewellery.
“Anyone who has given criminal orders and carried them out by killing our people will be brought before the tribunal, which should be similar to the Nuremberg tribunals,” he said.
Mr Zelensky played allies a video appearing to show bound, killed and burned civilians and mass graves across his nation.
In other developments:
● Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko suggested Britain had sent Harpoon anti-ship missiles, a move not confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence;
● Labour renewed calls for Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin to be expelled over “war crimes” as Italy, Germany and France kicked out dozens of diplomats;
● Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe to investigate atrocities committed in Ukraine;
● The Liberal Democrats called for Russian military units to be proscribed as “terrorist organisations”.
On the second day of her trip to Warsaw, Ms Truss reiterated her vow to use tomorrow’s meeting of G7 and Nato to press for further sanctions.
Having met Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, she said “crippling” economic actions must go further, to include “industries that are filling Putin’s war chest, like gold, and agreeing a clear timetable to eliminate our imports of Russian oil, coal and gas”.
Mr Morawiecki has criticised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for focusing on the “voices of German businesses” rather than the innocents killed in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is likely to urge Germany to set a date for phasing out Russian gas when he meets Mr Scholz in London on Friday.
The UK, which currently holds the Security Council’s presidency, convinced the meeting to discuss seeking justice over the “mounting evidence of war crimes”.
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said photos from Bucha show the “unbelievable brutality”.
French president Emmanuel Macron said there is “clear evidence of war crimes” in Bucha.
“I’m in favour of a new round of sanctions... We need to act,” he told FranceInter radio.