A senior European Union official has issued a stark warning to Donald Trump's administration, declaring that any peace plan for Ukraine must not allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to evade accountability for alleged war crimes.
EU Draws a Red Line on Accountability
Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner for Justice and Democracy, told Politico on Monday, 1 December 2025, that negotiators must ensure a ceasefire does not result in Russia avoiding prosecution. His statement sets a clear new red line for any potential settlement to end the conflict.
His remarks highlight deepening concerns across Europe regarding the original version of the US proposal, which reportedly suggested a "full amnesty for actions committed during the war" and measures 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," Mr McGrath stated. "They must be held accountable for those crimes and that will be the approach of the European Union in all of these discussions."
Fears of Impunity Sowing Seeds for Future Aggression
The warning comes as Trump's team pushes for a reset in relations with Moscow, despite Russia facing severe allegations. These accusations include the abduction of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children and brutal attacks on civilians in cities like Bucha and Mariupol.
McGrath emphasised the long-term danger of granting impunity. "Were we to do so, to allow for impunity for those crimes, we would be sowing the seeds of the next round of aggression and the next invasion," he said. "And I believe that that would be a historic mistake of huge proportions."
The Scale of Alleged Atrocities and Legal Judgements
The scale of the alleged crimes is vast. Ukrainian prosecutors have opened more than 178,000 investigations into suspected Russian crimes since the full-scale invasion began.
International bodies have corroborated serious violations. A United Nations commission reported last month that Russian authorities committed crimes against humanity through drone attacks on civilians and carried out the war crimes of forcible transfer and deportation.
In a significant legal development in July this year, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered damning judgments against Russia. The court found Moscow responsible for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine in four separate cases brought by Kyiv and the Netherlands, covering atrocities dating back over a decade.
The litany of alleged crimes includes:
- Murder and torture
- Rape
- Destruction of civilian infrastructure
- The kidnapping of Ukrainian children
"We cannot give up on the rights of the victims of Russian aggression and Russian crimes," Commissioner McGrath asserted. "Millions of lives have been taken or destroyed, and people forcibly removed, and we have ample evidence."
The EU's firm stance underscores a fundamental clash in approaches to ending the war, pitting a drive for a swift geopolitical settlement against the imperative for justice and the precedent it sets for international law.
