AFP

As the war in Ukraine enters its seventh month, Kyiv plans to set up an international tribunal next year to try Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top military leaders for launching the invasion. Andrei Smirnov, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, will oversee the plan to establish this court, which will investigate the Russian "crime of aggression". The definition of the crime of aggression was adopted in the 2010 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the concept of "crime against peace" was used in the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials after World War II. The International Criminal Court, which has been looking into the most serious crimes for twenty years, is already investigating war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine. But it cannot consider accusations of aggression because neither Ukraine nor Russia has ratified the Rome Statute. This court "is the only way to ensure swift accountability of the criminals who started the war in Ukraine," Smirnov told AFP. "The memory of the world is short. Therefore, I would like this court to start its work next year," he added. He explained that Ukraine knows that the accused will not be present, but that this court "will work to ensure that these people are classified as criminals and are not able to travel in the civilized world." Smirnov recounted that the idea of ​​creating this special court came to his mind on February 25, the day after the invasion. The political leaders, President Vladimir Putin at the fore, and the Russian military high command that launched the war will be tried. - international treaty - Ukrainian prosecutors have identified nearly 600 suspects in the aggression so far, including prominent military officials, politicians and propagandists. An international treaty for the establishment of the court has been drawn up and is ready for signature by the governments that so desire. Under it, the court's decisions are valid on the territory of the signatory states, which means that any criminal convicted there can be arrested. Without naming it, Smirnov noted that many countries will sign the document before the end of the year and negotiations are underway with "several European partners (who) have indicated their willingness to host the court." "We want the decisions of this court to be recognized," he said, adding that he "fully realizes" that the court needs strong legitimacy. But while negotiations with Ukraine's closest partners, such as Poland and the Baltic states, are taking place quickly, other partners such as Germany and France consider it a "symbolic" idea. Despite reforms in recent years, Ukraine's judicial system is regularly criticized for its lack of independence and endemic corruption. Political considerations may explain this. "Some countries, while recognizing the aggression against Ukraine, are trying to keep a small window open for negotiations with Vladimir Putin," Smirnov said. But even in Western Europe, support for this idea is slowly growing. On May 19, the European Parliament called, in a resolution, for the establishment of this court. Speaking at an international conference on war crimes in Ukraine in The Hague last month, Dutch Foreign Minister Wupke Hoekstra said the issue of creating a special court was a "good point"