World
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy visits ICC in The Hague
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived Thursday at the International Criminal Court in The Hague under heavy security, an AFP correspondent saw.
Kyiv had confirmed that Zelenskyy will meet with the leadership of the ICC, which has issued an arrest warrant for Russia's Vladimir Putin over a war crime charge.
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He will also have meetings with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and members of parliament, the government said ahead of his visit.
The foreign ministry said Zelenskyy was expected to deliver a speech titled “No Peace Without Justice for Ukraine”.
Citing security concerns, government spokespersons declined to provide further details on Zelenskyy’s visit, his first official trip to the country. The Ukrainian leader has visited several foreign capitals including London, Paris and Washington since Russia's 2022 invasion.
The Netherlands has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, with Rutte in February saying he did not rule out any kind of military support for Kyiv as long as it did not bring NATO into conflict with Russia.
Russia, which is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction, denies committing atrocities during its conflict with Ukraine, which it terms a “special military operation.”
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in February that an international centre for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine would be set up in The Hague.
The ICC can prosecute genocide in Ukraine but has no jurisdiction over alleged crimes of aggression by Russia there.
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