US Attorney General Visits Ukraine, Throws Support Behind Investigating Alleged Russian War Crimes

The ICC opened an investigation in Ukraine, but Washington is not a party to the court and has condemned its efforts to investigate the US and Israel

In the latest high-level US visit to Ukraine, Attorney General Merrick Garland made an appearance in the country on Tuesday and pledged US support for investigating alleged Russian war crimes.

Garland met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova near Lviv and announced the formation of a team meant to help Ukraine with criminal prosecution, evidence collection, and forensics.

“There is no hiding place for war criminals. The US Justice Department will pursue every avenue of accountability for those who commit war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine,” Garland said.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into alleged Russian war crimes and has sent a team of investigators to Ukraine. The US has pledged to help international efforts, although Washington is not a party to the ICC and has tried to obstruct the court’s investigation of war crimes allegedly committed by the US and its allies.

The Trump administration sanctioned ICC officials for investigating the US war in Afghanistan. The measures were reversed by the Biden administration, but Biden officials made clear they still opposed the investigation as well as the ICC’s probe into Israel’s actions in the West Bank and Gaza.

“We continue to disagree strongly with the ICC’s actions relating to the Afghanistan and Palestinian situations,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement when the ICC sanctions were lifted.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.