French Foreign Minister does not rule out “prosecuting” in the International Criminal Court “those who gave the order to invade” Ukraine

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, was in Ukraine, where he reaffirmed Paris’ support for the Ukrainian people. After visiting Romania, he gave an exclusive interview to RFI, in which he stated that Russia “has violated all its commitments” and spoke of the possible punishment of those responsible for the war, recalling that in the past, heads of state have been tried by the International Criminal Court.

help Ukraine to maintain their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. That was the main message of the interview with the head of French diplomacy, in the Ukrainian newsroom set up by RFI in Bucharest, shortly after the start of the war.

“If we are on the side of Ukraine it is because we defend a vision of the world, with values ​​and principles of international law, but also because we defend our interests,” he said. Catherine Colonnaremembering that “if everyone decides to invade their neighbor”, the entire planet will suffer.

“Today, unfortunately, is the time for arms. For this we help Ukraine to defend itself and we know that for new stages to be glimpsed in a dialogue that existed but was interrupted, a better balance of forces must be found,” Colonna summed up. However, he stressed that it is kyiv who should decide what to do, at the time and under the conditions that the Ukrainian government deems most appropriate.

But first, the minister insisted, the Ukrainians must see in Russia “a partner in good faith.” “Until now, [Moscú] He has given no sign of being open to a productive dialogue. On the contrary, it has methodically violated all its commitments, both international and those of the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union”said the minister, for whom “it is first necessary to establish this new balance of power, to help Ukraine to recover what it must recover.”

Questioned about possible sanctions against those responsible for the war and if she believed that a trial could really be held against the protagonists of the conflict, Catherine Colonna was categorical: “yes, because it is necessary”. We know that “there will be no lasting peace if justice is not done”, she declared, affirming that the French authorities are “committed to this fight against impunity”.

“It is possible to prosecute not only those who shot, those who killed, but also those who gave the order, and even those who gave the order to invade,” he announced. “It has already happened in the past that heads of state have been tried by the International Criminal Court or by international courts that existed before the creation of the ICC. So there are possible legal remedies and they have to be [castigados]. That’s essential,” she concluded.