Zelensky in The Hague says Putin must face justice

The aggressor must sense the full power of justice. This is our historic responsibility”, Zelenskiy said in a speech.

“Only an institution is able to respond to original crime, aggression crime: a court. Not a compromise that would allow politicians to say that the case was allegedly carried out, but a true court, complete”, Reuters reports.

An act of aggression is defined by the United Nations as a “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state (in) the territory of another state, or any military invasion”.

This court, which is located in The Hague and which Zelensky visited earlier in the day, issued an arrest warrant for Putin's alleged deportation of children from Ukraine.

But it has no jurisdiction over alleged aggression crimes, and the European Commission, among other things, has already given its support for creating a special international centre for prosecuting the crime of aggression in Ukraine, which would be established at The Hague.

“We all want to see a different Vladimir here in The Hague, the one who deserves to be sanctioned for his criminal actions here in the capital of international law”, Zelenskiy said, referring to Putin.