US State Dept. Says Discussions Underway on How to Form Tribunal on Russia

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2022) Discussions are underway on how to form a tribunal on Russia, with a United Nations-mediated option currently being reviewed, a US State Department official said on Monday.

"There are a few discussions now how it can be done. One is bilaterally with the United Nations," the State Department official said referring to a tribunal on alleged war and other crimes allegedly committed by Russia.

In September, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that he supported the idea of creating an independent tribunal to investigate Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and the alleged war crimes committed there.

Russia has repeatedly said that such a tribunal would have nothing to do with justice and has specifically condemned Borrell's remarks.

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine responding to requests from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk to help them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.

The United States and its allies - the so-called collective West - have imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia while providing military and financial support to Ukraine in the amount of multiple billions of Dollars.

In addition, the collective West has been accusing Russia of committing crimes in Ukraine, while Moscow has said that the special military operation only targets and destroys infrastructure used for military purposes.