Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ address, via video-recorded message, at the online Summit of the Core Group on Accountability for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (09.05.2023)

President Zelenskyy,
Your Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,

For more than a year now Ukraine and its people continue their brave fight; their fight to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country, their freedom and independence.

Russia’s war of aggression is an existential threat for Ukraine. It is a fundamental challenge for European security and our system which is based on international law and the inviolability of borders.

Since the first day, we stood by Ukraine’s side in full solidarity. Restoring a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter and international law is at the core of our objectives.

We have been shocked by the haunting images of the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces. Mariupol, a once vibrant city, home to a large part of the historic Greek community of Ukraine, is destroyed almost entirely.

Russian authorities have forcibly deported thousands of people from Ukraine to Russia; Ukrainian children have been victims of abominable abductions and deportations. Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure are being targeted by indiscriminate attacks. Under no circumstances civilians and those not taking an active part in the conflict can be legitimate targets.

Greece has from the very beginning advocated for justice for the crimes committed in Ukraine since Russia launched the war. Greece, together with the EU and other partners, fully supports the investigations of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.  

We support the initiatives undertaken by the EU and other international actors in order to:

    facilitate the work of the ICC Prosecutor,
    provide assistance to Ukrainian judicial authorities to document, investigate and prosecute international crimes, and
    promote the coherence of action between the various accountability efforts.

Greece has recently joined the Core Group on Accountability for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine; We follow closely the discussions held within this Group on the possible legal avenues to ensure accountability for this crime.

The establishment in the Hague of an International Centre for the Prosecution of the crime of Aggression is an important step.

Accountability for the core international crimes committed in Ukraine is a priority for Greece and the other EU member states.

We offer our full support to the ICC, Ukraine, and the international community in their efforts to hold the perpetrators of these crimes finally accountable.