Czech foreign minister calls for special tribunal against Russian leaders over alleged war crimes in Ukraine
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Jonny Hallam
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky called for the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia’s top leadership for alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine.
“Any political leadership of a country must be held accountable when it starts a war,” Lipavsky said in a tweet Sunday.
The foreign minister also emphasized that “a tough attitude is needed” to establish international security, and rules must apply “at the international level.”
“We cannot talk about peace. Russia only understands strength. I cannot imagine being a member of a government that does not support Ukraine,” he continued.
Lipavsky also stated “the Parliament of the Czech Republic takes Russia's actions as acts of terror.”
“If someone fires a rocket at an intersection during rush hour, it's not a mistake, it's pure terrorism. Russia wants to instill fear and terror,” the foreign minister tweeted.
Some context: In September, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan said that after visiting Ukraine three times to investigate atrocities, he believes war crimes have been committed.
"One has seen a variety of destruction, of suffering, and that fortifies my determination. And my previous finding that there are reasonable grounds to believe the crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed," Khan told members of the United Nations Security Council.
During his update to the Security Council, Khan spoke candidly of the brutal horrors he had seen in Ukraine.
2 hr 41 min agoNew EU aid package could total €18 billion for Ukraine, European Commission chief tells Zelensky
From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin
The European Commission will soon consider a significant financial aid package of up to €1.5 billion a month for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Sunday to discuss the potential aid package, sanctions on Iran and other topics, Zelensky tweeted.
The two leaders agree on “the importance of continuing the grain initiative for world food security” and discussed “increasing sanctions & opposing actions of Iran, which supports aggression,” the Ukrainian president wrote.
According to a statement from the European Commission, “President von der Leyen informed President Zelensky that she would this week propose a substantial financial package from the EU of up to EUR 1.5 billion a month, totalling up to EUR 18 billion, which would contribute significantly to cover Ukraine's financing needs for 2023.”