Mihkelson: All war crimes must be punished

Today, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Marko Mihkelson said at the meeting with the new Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Estonia Vladimir Lipaev that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and global peace as well as the war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine had an extremely negative impact, among other things, on Estonian-Russian relations.

“The relations between Estonia and Russia will remain at a low ebb until Russia has not ended the war against Ukraine, withdrawn its occupation forces from the territory of sovereign Ukraine and taken responsibility for gross violation of international law,” Mihkelson said. The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee added that, according to the principles of the United Nations, even threatening with war and starting an aggression are crimes against peace.

In Mihkelson’s opinion, the horrible crimes committed by Russia’s armed forces in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine during recent weeks are nothing else but an attempt to indiscriminately destroy the population of Ukraine. “The international community will contribute to the recording of the war crimes, so that those who committed these crimes could be brought to justice. A brutal violation of international law must not remain unpunished,” he emphasised.

The Riigikogu has repeatedly expressed its support to the people of Ukraine and called for taking immediate steps that would limit the ability of the aggressor state to wage war, including a full trade embargo.

Source: Parliament of Estonia