The UK has said it will consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for nations to support a special tribunal to investigate potential war crimes in the country.
Mr Zelenskyy's plea for a tribunal comes after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrest, accusing him of being personally responsibility for the abduction of children from Ukraine.
Justice ministers from around the world gathered for a conference at Lancaster House in central London on Monday, with Karim Khan KC demanding Russia “return” children to Ukraine as alleged war crimes were detailed.
At the end of the meeting, Mr Zelenskyy appeared in a recorded message, urging delegates to back a tribunal to look into Russian “aggression”.
“This will significantly stress international justice," he said.
Asked about the prospect of a tribunal, British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: “We’ll keep working together to consider it.
“I think right now the priority of this conference has been to try and give the ICC adequate support.
“Discussions are still in a relatively preliminary stage. We understand the importance of it to the people of Ukraine and President Zelenskyy.
“We want to try and support them as best we can.”
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Details of the ICC’s warrant for Mr Putin have been laid out.
“The allegations are serious indeed," Mr Khan said. "Ukraine is a crime scene. Many types of allegations have been received.
“To anybody who says, ‘What seems to have taken place is humanitarian evacuations’, the evidence tells a different story.
“The judges have said so by saying, 'Repatriate the children, return the children, reunite the children'.
“If there is any semblance of truth to the utterances that this is for the sake of the children, instead of giving them a foreign passport, return them to the country of their nationality.”
The UK is boosting its financial support for the court, based in The Hague in the Netherlands, to £1 million ($12.m) this year, and other countries are expected to commit to financial and practical assistance.
More than 40 nations were represented at the meeting hosted by Mr Raab and Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius.
Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, spoke of “ruthless” attacks and “atrocities” by Russian soldiers against civilians and territories.
“Russia acts with a clear plan to destroy Ukraine and Ukrainian identity," he went on.
“The deportation and transportation of thousands of Ukrainian children, including from orphanages and care homes to Russia.
“Simplifying their illegal adoption process and confirming their citizenship of an aggressive state is very clear evidence of this plan. This is done to cut ties with Ukraine and alter their Ukrainian heritage.
“My office has already launched investigations into over 72,000 incidents of war crimes.
“Isolated and sporadic attacks, we see how Russian foot soldiers are meticulously implementing unlawful orders given by the Kremlin.”
Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said: “There are many people who really have suffered significant damages, losing their husbands and wives, homes and jobs.
“Many families have lost their infrastructures, the whole country was semi-destroyed by Russian soldiers.
“Those damages should be compensated.”
Before the conference, the UK government offered new support and funding for psychological help for victims and witnesses of crimes, more UK experts to work for the ICC and training for investigators to use digital evidence to bring war criminals to justice.
“It is absolutely vital that we unite behind the ICC and we support the office of the prosecutor in whatever it needs," Mr Raab said.
He said the support would “strengthen the prosecutor’s hand” in investigating possible war crimes.
The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights.
The Kremlin dismissed the move against Mr Putin as “outrageous and unacceptable”.
