Russia should be held accountable for its aggression as well as the Nazis - President's speech at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers

I know that today is preparing a decision on new support for our defense - for the production of weapons in Ukraine - worth 1 billion euros. In total, it is approximately 4 billion euros of new support from Europe as of today. Thank you very much for it. Russia must feel our common - and, most important, more and more - power. This is what you need for peace. The desire to complete this war should intensify within Russia itself and begins with the feeling that it loses.

It loses from this war, as it should lose any aggressor. This is what you need. I ask you to continue to work for it. And it is very symbolic that our meeting takes place these days when we honor the memory of those who defeated Nazism 80 years ago, and when we celebrate Europe Day - New Europe Day, a day directly related to the victory of the Allies in World War II.

Our continent has a long and rich history, but today we are most proud of our new Europe - Europe, which is able to live and defends the right to life. We have to keep this Europe. We are proud of Europe that does not kill. Which is united. Which protects international law. Europe who respects personality. And if you ask who this personality is not a ruler or king.

At the center of today's Europe is respect for every human being, for the individuality and identity of everyone: the character of every people, every person, every family. The united Europe, along with our democratic friends around the world, stands for it. And it must be protected. For centuries, Europe has repeatedly shocked and even breaking reckless, false changes. And now, at this turning point, it is vital for all of us - for every nation - that Europe does not break anymore. Not this time.

Our Europe - the one that has reached so many years after the Second World War - should now become simply stronger, capable of protecting all people throughout Europe. We must protect this Europe - Europe of human dignity, and therefore rights, human rights, and responsibility for crimes against people and nations. Without responsibility declared rights are not true, and respect for human dignity begins to disappear.

It is the highest moral inheritance of the twentieth century: there should be responsibility. Especially - responsibility for the war. Because even one war goes unpunished, new wars will come. That is why Putin began a full -scale war against Ukraine - he escaped punishment for previous wars, as a bandit who was never responsible for the committed. This can no longer be allowed. And today you just have a solution.

The decision to create a mechanism that is able to prevent future wars - through bringing to justice. The decision to create a tribunal. And I urge you to give this decision your political support. Russia should be held accountable for its aggression as well as the Nazis. The strict tribunal for the crime of aggression can-and should make any potential aggressor think twice. And we can realize it if everyone who appreciates human life will protect it.

Not only here, in Europe, but also in the United States and other countries, as we already see representatives of Japan and Australia here. I thank you and your countries for working together to create a justice infrastructure that we need to ensure that Russia against Ukraine is responsible for this war. Especially I want to point out the efforts of the Council of Europe - this is a true leadership.

I thank anyone working to make this tribunal an effective tool and help strengthen the work of the International Criminal Court. I also thank the Netherlands and the city of Hague for his willingness to become a home for justice - justice that Ukraine deserves in this war. We all understand that there is a lot of work ahead - both political and legal. We all understand how difficult it is to bring military criminals to the courtroom. But we have already chosen this path.