BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th March, 2022) Heads of Justice ministries of the EU member states are gathering in Brussels on Friday to discuss sanctions against Russia and coordination of probes into events in Ukraine, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said.
"We will have an opportunity to analyze the situation in Ukraine now, and I am sure it is important for the ministers of justice to play a role in the implementation of the sanctions but also in the fight against impunity for the crimes committed during the aggression and to organize a good coordination of all the possible investigations at the national level concerning oligarchs helping the Russian regime in such an aggression," Reynders said ahead of the Justice and Home Affairs Council.
Russia launched an operation in Ukraine last week after the breakaway Donbas republics appealed for help in defending themselves against the Ukrainian military. The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation was solely targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and the civilian population is not in danger.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian soldiers have voluntarily laid down arms in some parts of the country, and have been provided with medical aid and safety. Meanwhile, Ukrainian nationalists are reported to be engaged in killings, looting and robberies, Moscow said.
According to Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations office in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, the UN Council had ignored the sufferings of the Donbas people from attacks by the Ukrainian army for eight years. In addition, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow firmly denies Kiev's accusations of war crimes in Ukraine.
