Ukraine’s Zelenskiy, seeking justice, visits war crimes court in The Hague

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which in March issued an arrest order for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged child deportation from Ukraine.

Judge Piotr Hofmanski welcomed Zelenskiy to the court in his signature khaki T-shirt and pants.

Russia, which is not a member of the ICC and opposes its jurisdiction, denies atrocities in its “special military operation” against Ukraine.

Zelenskiy was scheduled to deliver a lecture headlined “No Peace Without Justice for Ukraine” in The Hague later that morning on his first official visit to the country.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the president has visited London, Paris, and Washington.

In February, Rutte said he would not rule out military backing for Kyiv as long as it did not include NATO and Russia.

Before his visit, the government said Zelenskiy would meet with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and members of parliament.

In February, European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen announced the creation of an international center for the prosecution of aggression in Ukraine in The Hague.

The ICC can prosecute genocide in Ukraine but not Russia’s claimed aggression there.

The United Nations defines aggression as “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state (on) the territory of another state, or any military occupation”.