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Summation of roundtable "Responses to Russian Atrocities in the Ongoing War against Ukraine"
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- Published on Monday, 25 November 2024 15:24
On November 20, 2024, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a roundtable discussion Responses to Russian Atrocities in the Ongoing War against Ukraine. The event was co-organized by the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
The discussion brought together leading experts in law and international relations, including:
Myroslava Antonovych, Associate Professor of the Department of International and European Law at NaUKMA and Director of the Center for Genocide and Human Rights Studies; Dmytro Koval, Associate Professor of the Department of International and European Law at NaUKMA; Ambassador David Scheffer, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues; Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues (2009–2015).
The event was moderated by Dr. Katherine Dale, Senior Advisor and Director at USIP.
Almost three years into Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, crimes against Ukraine’s civilian population have not abated, despite international condemnation and robust support to Ukrainian efforts to investigate and prosecute these crimes. Progress also continues toward the establishment of an international tribunal for prosecuting the crime of aggression, albeit slow and halting. These efforts have been rightly recognized as precedential – arguably the first time that accountability efforts have happened during active armed conflict. This progress has also raised questions in the public discourse about how accountability efforts may impact attempts to negotiate a political settlement with Russia.
A central theme of the roundtable was the interdependence between peace and justice: how ensuring accountability for war crimes can contribute to achieving a lasting and sustainable peace.
"Legal mechanisms capable of holding Russia accountable for crimes against humanity are key to preventing the recurrence of such atrocities in the future. Some progress has already been made - for the first time, accountability mechanisms are being implemented during an active conflict, particularly under international conventions," emphasized Myroslava Antonovych, Associate Professor at NaUKMA and Director of the Center for Genocide and Human Rights Studies.
"Creating an international tribunal to investigate and document crimes of aggression is an essential step toward restoring justice. At the same time, alternative pathways are crucial, such as imposing sanctions for involvement in grain pillage or targeting Russian corporations for their participation in the commission of war crimes," highlighted Dmytro Koval, Associate Professor at NaUKMA.
The participants also addressed issues related to the deportation of Ukrainian children, measures taken by Ukraine to ensure accountability, and the moral and legal significance of recognizing these crimes for the victims.
This event underscored the importance of academic collaboration in strengthening international justice and advocating for accountability for Ukraine.
As Marta Farion, President of the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America, noted:
"The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has always been at the avant-garde of not only innovation but also the fight for democracy and freedom."
We extend our gratitude to all participants for their contributions and encourage support for the NaUKMA Research Fund.
To do this please visit:
• Research Fund for contributions through the KMA Foundation official platform.
• Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America for American colleagues (please indicate "Research Fund" in the comments).
The participation of NaUKMA researchers in the roundtable was made possible through the generous support of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC).