EU countries, except Hungary, vow 'full accountability' for war crimes in Ukraine

Published on 31/03/2026 - 14:05 GMT+2

The countries of the European Union, but Hungary, pledged connected Tuesday to guarantee "full accountability" for the warfare crimes Russia is accused of committing during its full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

The exclusion of Hungary comes amid a bitter quality betwixt Budapest and Ukraine implicit the Druzhba lipid pipeline that has paralysed a captious €90 cardinal indebtedness to Kyiv. Before the row, Budapest had signalled beardown disagreements astir the bloc's wide policy.

"Accountability is an indispensable constituent of a comprehensive, conscionable and lasting peace, arsenic good arsenic upholding planetary law," the 26 subordinate states said successful a joint statement co-signed by Ukraine and High Representative Kaja Kallas.

Kallas gathered immoderate of the bloc's overseas ministers successful Kyiv to commemorate 4 years of the Bucha massacre, during which 400 Ukrainians were murdered by Russian troops connected the outskirts of Kyiv. Images of dormant bodies lined up connected the streets, wrists tied, shocked the satellite and exposed the scope of the atrocities against civilians.

"What happened present cannot beryllium denied," Kallas said portion visiting the memorial site. "Russia indispensable beryllium held accountable for what it has done to Ukraine."

Since the Bucha massacre, Ukraine and its allies person been promoting respective initiatives to papers and prosecute warfare crimes linked to Russia.

In May past year, a wide conjugation of antiauthoritarian nations endorsedthecreation of a peculiar tribunal to prosecute the transgression of aggression, which targets the governmental representatives yet liable for launching the full-scale invasion. This could pave the mode for trying Vladimir Putin in absentia, but lone aft helium leaves office.

The tribunal has been designed nether the auspices of the Council of Europe, a quality rights organisation based successful Strasbourg.

About 10 countries person expressed their volition to articulation the statement that underpins the initiative, with Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania and Luxembourg having completed the parliamentary procedures. (Not each state is required to spell done parliament.)

"What is present required is clear: governmental volition and corporate commitment," Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset said successful a statement.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the motorboat of the peculiar tribunal aboriginal this twelvemonth would assistance revive "the tone of Nuremberg", successful notation to the precedent-setting prosecution of warfare crimes against Nazi Germany astatine the extremity of World War II.

"The standard of Russian atrocities successful the people of its aggression is unseen connected European ungraded since WWII. The transgression of aggression is the basal origin of them all," helium said.

"There indispensable beryllium accountability, and determination volition beryllium nary amnesty for Russian criminals, including the highest governmental and subject enactment of the Russian Federation."

In November, Europeans were shocked to work a 28-point program drafted by US and Russian officials that envisioned a broad amnesty for warfare criminals. The draft, which featured a raft of arguable elements, has since past been turned into a much palatable 20-point plan. Negotiations, however, stay stuck implicit territorial questions.

Europeans person repeatedly censured the Kremlin for adopting a maximalist presumption successful the talks, which US officials person astatine times appeared to echo. Last week, Kallas urged Washington to debar falling into "the trap" of "the Russian playbook".