UWC Urges the United Nations to Establish War Crime Tribunal & Remove Russian Veto

September 22, 2022 – New York. During the 77th UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Ukrainian World Congress has called upon global leaders and all peace-loving nations to make impactful decisions that will help stop Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine and the resulting global economic and geopolitical crisis.

“77 years ago, following the end of World War II, leaders of the international community established the United Nations as an instrument of maintaining peace and security, protecting human rights, upholding international law, preventing future wars and horrors, such as genocide and war crimes. The international order is being brutally violated by the Russian Federation, which for seven months has been killing Ukrainians and destroying their homes,” stated Paul Grod, UWC President, who is heading the UWC Delegation to the UN.

Since the illegal annexation of Crimea and occupation of Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014, Russia has been brutally and blatantly violating international law, including the UN Charter. On February 24, 2022, it launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to crush Ukraine’s statehood and wipe out the Ukrainian nation.

In Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces are committing heinous war crimes and atrocities, such as mass torture, rape and murder of civilians. More than 1,300 Ukrainians were deliberately shot dead in the Bucha massacre in the Kyiv region in March-April 2022. The visuals of mass graves uncovered in the city of Izium and other areas within the Kharkiv region recently liberated by Ukrainian army earlier this month, have shocked the world. Ukrainians living in the occupied territories are being systemically terrorized, tortured, violated, and killed.

“The UWC is calling upon the UN to take decisive punitive action to stop Russia’s genocide against the Ukrainian people. If big powers are not stopped from waging war, annexing territories, and committing human rights atrocities against small states, no nation in the world will ever feel safe again,” stated Paul Grod.

“We call upon the United Nations General Assembly and global leaders to take immediate action to create an International War Crimes Tribunal which would prosecute the Russian Federation, its leadership and everyone who is responsible or complicit in war crimes and crimes against the people of Ukraine. In addition, the UNGA must strip Russia of its UN Security Council veto.”

“We have seen firsthand the torture, rapes and killings being perpetrated by Russia against the Ukrainian people in the occupied territories. We cannot stand by – we must act! We call upon all governments of the world to provide Ukraine with the means to immediately liberate the occupied territories of Ukraine. They need maximum weapons, economic support and an enhanced sanctions regime. We must stop this genocide now!” Mr. Grod stressed.

Dear friends. I am in New York City for the 77th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly and attended the opening of the Russia War Crimes House at the Ukrainian Institute. This somber and chilling exhibit tells the story of the war crimes being committed against the Ukrainian people.

The Ukrainian World Congress is calling upon the UNGA to create an International War Crimes Tribunal, which would prosecute the russian federation, its leadership and everyone who is responsible or complicit in war crimes and crimes against the people of Ukraine. We have seen first-hand the torture, rapes and killings being perpetrated by russia against the Ukrainian people in the occupied territories.

We cannot stand by – we must act – we must call upon all governments of the world to provide Ukraine with the means to immediately liberate the occupied territories of Ukraine. They need maximum weapons, economic support and more severe sanctions and isolation of russia and its supporters. We must stop this genocide now.

Let’s save the people of Ukraine from russian occupation, torture and killing. Slava Ukraini!