EU commissioner says Russia must be punished for war crimes

Russia must not escape responsibility for war crimes committed in Ukraine. Any step aimed at "wiping Russia’s slate clean" in a peace deal would be "a historic mistake of huge proportions."

This was stated by EU Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath in an interview with Politico.

McGrath’s statement on Russia’s crimes

"I don’t think history will judge kindly any effort to wipe the slate clean for Russian crimes in Ukraine. They must be held accountable for those crimes and that will be the approach of the European Union in all of these discussions," he stressed.

In particular, McGrath recalled that Russia abducted 20,000 Ukrainian children and shot civilians in Bucha, Mariupol, and other cities.

"We cannot give up on the rights of the victims of Russian aggression and Russian crimes. Millions of lives have been taken or destroyed, and people forcibly removed, and we have ample evidence," he added.

The EU commissioner emphasized that negotiators must ensure that the push for a ceasefire does not allow Russia to evade prosecution.

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