On February 28, the Lithuanian government approved the initiative of the ministries of justice and foreign affairs to turn to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Russia and Belarus, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported.

"The case is directed at the liability of specific individuals - namely the decision-takers from the regimes of Putin and Lukashenko. Lithuania states that an immediate action is needed in the face of the brutal aggression from Russia and Belarus against Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry of Justice has collected and handed over the material needed to launch the investigation. The application describes the situation in Ukraine, outlines the violations of international law that are known to date, and provides their legal assessment, along with the reasoning. The application meets all the procedural terms and requirements for launching an investigation.

"Under the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, any Member State may lodge a complaint with the Public Prosecutor. The purpose of this procedure is to provide the available information for the prosecutor to verify and, if warranted, to open up the proceedings. At the same time, it helps the prosecutor gather information from different entities and sources," the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.