U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland made a surprise visit to Ukraine to attend an international conference on justice in Lviv, restating Washington’s commitment to “hold Russia responsible” for crimes committed during Moscow’s full-scale military invasion.
"The attorney general held several meetings and reaffirmed our determination to hold Russia accountable for crimes committed in its unjust and unprovoked invasion against its sovereign neighbor," a Justice Department official said on March 3.
The visit was Garland’s second since Russia’s invasion began in late February 2022, and it comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s dramatic visit to Kyiv on February 20. U.S. officials said Garland’s visit was at the invitation of Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin.
It also follows a surprise visit to Kyiv by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on February 27 as U.S. and other Western officials continue to press Ukraine to continue steps to root out corruption and stabilize the rule of law in the country, even as it battles against the Russian invasion.
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra and EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders were also among those attending the Lviv conference.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke to the gathering through a video address, telling participants that when Russian military authorities are held accountable for crimes committed during the war, “justice will be restored."
He pointed to the "responsibility of Russia and its leadership -- personal responsibility -- for aggression and terror against our country and our people."
"We are doing everything to ensure that the International Criminal Court is successful in punishing Russian war criminals, and that our national law enforcement and judicial authorities ensure just sentences against all Russian murderers and torturers."
Kostin told the conference that "a year ago, the world was debating whether Ukraine would survive. Today, here in Lviv, we are discussing the format of the tribunal for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. I consider this an indisputable progress and our common achievement."
Washington, the European Union, and human rights groups have accused Russia of human rights violations on the territory of Ukraine, including torture, abuse, rape and other forms of violence as well as attacks on civilian infrastructure and energy-sector facilities.
Moscow has vehemently denied the allegations, despite mounting evidence, and has called on international bodies to investigate crimes it says have been committed against Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine.
