Ratification of the Rome Statute does not replace other international instruments for Ukraine to receive compensation for Russia's war crimes, Deputy Head of the President's Office Iryna Mudra said.

"The Rome Statute is not an alternative or a replacement for the fact that we are trying to implement international instruments for receiving compensation separately from the International Criminal Court (ICC)," she said during the online discussion "Ratification of the Rome Statute: Questions and Answers" organized by the Ukrainian Bar Association on Wednesday.

"You know about Ukraine's initiative to create an international compensation mechanism. We have also made quite a lot of progress on this issue. We are actively discussing the creation of a compensation commission, and by the end of 2024 we will agree on the provisions of an international treaty to create such a commission, and by the end of 2025 we will create it," she said.

Mudra also said "ratification of the Rome Statute will increase the chances of receiving compensation for victims of Russian war crimes."

According to her, Ukraine's full participation in the International Criminal Court (ICC) will simplify access for Ukrainians who have suffered from Russian crimes to the ICC's special target fund for victims.

At the same time, Mudra said Ukraine will be able to influence how these funds are distributed and who will receive them, adding that there are already examples of the ICC awarding millions of dollars in compensation to victims of crimes.

"We are trying to take real steps on all fronts of international justice to hold Russia accountable," Mudra said.

As reported, on August 21, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Some 281 MPs voted for the adoption of the draft law No. 0285 on the ratification of the Rome Statute and amendments to it.