The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan has already opened a probe into killings in Ukraine and held virtual talks with President Zelensky over what appears to be the targeted killings of civilians.
Celine Bardet, a lawyer and international crime investigator, applauded the swift opening of an inquiry but said she wished the “same is now done with all conflicts”. Urging that emotions should not get in the way of justice, she said the ICC risked reinforcing a reputation that it is an instance that “only works when the West pushes it to do so”.
Biden said Tuesday that use of the term was apt, as it has “become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being able to be a Ukrainian”. Macron appeared to suggest particular prudence was needed in this context, given that Ukrainians and Russians were “brotherly peoples” with very similar ethnic origins.
But the comment by Macron — who so far has not joined the line of European leaders heading to talks in Kyiv with Zelensky — touched a particularly painful nerve in Ukraine. “Talk of ‘brotherly’ ties between Russia and Ukraine is misguided. Brothers don’t torture, rape, kill the others’ family,” Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said on Twitter.
