Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak participated in a thematic conference dedicated to implementing the seventh point of the Peace Formula, "Restoration of Justice." The event took place online.
The meeting was attended by representatives from around 60 partner countries and international organizations. Ukraine was also represented at the conference by Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Deputy Heads of the President's Office Ihor Zhovkva and Iryna Mudra, and Advisors to the Head of the President's Office Dariia Zarivna and Oleksandr Bevz.
Andriy Yermak began the meeting by recalling that two days ago, a photo of a Ukrainian prisoner of war executed by Russian occupiers circulated widely on social media.
"Such barbarity is not an isolated incident. Prisoners were mutilated and stabbed in August, July, and June. Executions occur regularly. This is more than just war crimes. This is a system. Torture, rape, and mass killings are their norm. This is their routine, enshrined in orders," he emphasized.
The Head of the President's Office stressed that the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia during this war are a consequence of the crime of aggression. Therefore, he said, without restoring justice, it is impossible to achieve lasting peace.
He emphasized that Russia is counting on impunity but must instead face legal responsibility and compensate for the damage caused. This involves paying reparations for the destruction and suffering experienced by Ukraine and its people.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Caspar Veldkamp, as a representative of the country that co-chairs the Working Group on the Implementation of this clause of the Peace Formula, noted that significant progress has been made in recent months in restoring justice.
Specifically, this includes Ukraine’s ratification of the Rome Statute, the issuance of additional arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, and the further expansion of the categories of damages eligible for compensation.
"All of this shows that Russia will not avoid the consequences of its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine," Caspar Veldkamp emphasized.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan emphasized that all people around the world seek and demand justice, and the Ukrainian people have an unconditional right to justice and protection by the law. He noted that Ukraine is taking all necessary steps and creating legal instruments to bring justice closer.
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin is convinced that restoring justice in Ukraine is part of the universal security architecture, as global peace can only be lasting if it is based on the rule of law, respect, and the upholding of fundamental values.
"We believe that Ukraine’s recent decision and the current process of ratifying the Rome Statute will be an additional building block for advancing and upholding justice in relation to international crimes," he added.
Andriy Kostin also noted that Ukraine welcomes Prosecutor Karim Khan’s initiative to intensify dialogue on developing provisions related to prosecuting the crime of aggression within the Rome Statute.
Deputy Head of the President's Office Iryna Mudra noted that significant steps toward justice have already been taken through the collective efforts of the international community. One of the most important steps, she said, is the creation of the Register of Damage for Ukraine as the first element of a comprehensive international compensation mechanism.
"We are now moving toward the creation of a claims commission, the instrument for which is to be ready next year, so that it can start operating in 2026. It is very important that we have reached broad consensus on the absence of political obstacles to establishing the claims commission," she said.
This thematic conference was the third in a series planned as a continuation of the first Peace Summit. The first, dedicated to energy security, took place on August 22. The second, focused on food security, was held on September 4. The goal of these events is to develop a comprehensive peace plan initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The conference resulted in a Joint Communiqué, the text of which is provided below.