The European Union will try, with the support of the UN, to establish a court dedicated to the investigation and trials of Russian war crimes committed in the war in Ukraine, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said today.

"The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought death, destruction and unimaginable suffering. We all remember the horrors of Bucha. It is estimated that more than 20.000 civilians and more than 100.000 members of the Ukrainian army have been killed in the war so far," von der Leyen said.

https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1597857662753902592

"Russia must pay for its terrible crimes, including the crime of aggression against a sovereign state. For this reason, although we continue to support the establishment of the international court, we propose the establishment of a special court that will support the UN and investigate and punish Russian crimes of aggression," she added.

"We are ready to work with the international community to get the greatest possible international support for the establishment of that special court. Russia must also pay financially for the destruction it has caused. "Ukraine is estimated to have suffered damages of around 600 billion euros. Russia and its oligarchs must compensate for the damage to Ukraine and the costs of rebuilding the country," the head of the EC said in a video address.

"Russia's terrible crimes must not go unpunished," von der Leyen said.

Russia, let's recall, denies that it killed civilians and committed war crimes despite the convincing evidence of the massacre in Bucha. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that more than 400 war crimes were committed only during the occupation of Kherson.