The US State Department announced on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, the launch of a new program to collect and analyze evidence of war crimes and other crimes allegedly committed by Russia in Ukraine, as Washington seeks to Ensure that Moscow is accountable for its actions.
The State Department said in a statement that the so-called “conflict watchdog” would include documenting, verifying and disseminating evidence with available sources about Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Reports and analysis will be available through the Conflict Monitor website.
US President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has criticized what he described as “major war crimes” committed by Russia in Ukraine, and his assertion that Moscow was responsible for starting Europe’s largest ground war since World War II. Emphasized.
The Kyiv government also accused Russia of committing crimes against civilians during the invasion, saying it had identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes.
Russia, on the other hand, denies targeting civilians and says without evidence that there are signs of a fake crime.
In this regard, the US State Department announced that the new program, which is being created with an initial investment of $ 6 million, will analyze and preserve information, including satellite images and information posted on social networks, so that He used it on social networks. Current and future accountability mechanisms
The statement added that “the new plan addresses the conflict as part of the US government’s efforts at the national and international levels to ensure that Russia will be held accountable for its horrific actions in the future.”
More than 250 Ukrainian fighters surrendered to Russian forces after weeks of stubborn resistance at the Azofestal steel plant in Mariupol, ending one of the most devastating sieges of the Russian war in Ukraine, allowing President Vladimir Putin to declare a rare victory in his hesitation. Slowly پویش.
Reuters saw buses leaving the Azofestal steel plant, where defenders stood in a series of shelters and tunnels in a convoy escorting Russian armored vehicles. Five buses entered the Russian-controlled city of Novazovsk. Moscow said the injured would be treated.
While the fate of these fighters is still unknown. The Kremlin said Putin had personally guaranteed that prisoners would be treated in accordance with international standards.
But a Reuters witness said seven buses carrying Ukrainian fighter jets from the Azofestal plant had reached a former criminal colony in the Russian-controlled town of Olnyuka near Donetsk.
For its part, the Tass news agency reported that a Russian commission planned to interrogate the soldiers, many of whom are members of the Azov brigade, as part of an investigation into what Moscow calls “crimes of the Ukrainian regime.”
The battle, which has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, ends as Russian forces continue to fight elsewhere after retreating from the northeastern suburbs of Kharkov.
At the international level, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson said on Tuesday that Sweden and Finland would submit their bids for NATO membership on Wednesday, abandoning a long-standing policy of neutrality over concerns about Putin’s broader goals.
Leaders of the two countries, meanwhile, expressed optimism about the possibility of overcoming Turkish opposition to its accession amid diplomatic efforts aimed at paving the way for the 30-nation alliance.
In addition, the annexation of Sweden and Finland will lead to the expansion of the Western alliance, which Putin relied on as one of the main justifications for what he called his “special military operation.”
Source: Lebanon Debate
