A senior European Union official has warned Donald Trump that any peace plan for Ukraine must not allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to escape accountability for alleged war crimes. Michael McGrath, the European commissioner for justice and democracy, told Politico on Monday that negotiators should ensure any ceasefire does not grant Russia immunity from prosecution.
McGrath's comments set a new red line for any settlement, amid concerns over the original US proposal which included a 'full amnesty for actions committed during the war' and steps to reintegrate Russia into the global economy. 'I don't think history will judge kindly any effort to wipe the slate clean for Russian crimes in Ukraine,' McGrath said. 'They must be held accountable for those crimes.'
Trump's team has pushed for a reset with Moscow, despite accusations of Russian crimes including the abduction of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children and attacks on civilians in Bucha, Mariupol, and other cities. McGrath warned that allowing impunity would 'sow the seeds of the next round of aggression' and be a 'historic mistake of huge proportions.'
Ukraine's prosecutors have opened more than 178,000 investigations into suspected Russian crimes since the invasion began. A UN commission reported last month that Russian authorities had committed crimes against humanity through drone attacks and war crimes including forcible transfer and deportation. In July, the European Court of Human Rights issued damning judgments against Russia for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine.
