Canada actively supports the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Ukraine and expects even more decisions from it in the future, Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza said.

“We were very pleased to see the arrest warrant for President Putin [Russian President Vladimir Putin] and Maria Lvova-Belova [Russia’s children’s ombudswoman]. Why? Because it shows that the court can work quickly and that it has focused on a really important aspect of Russia's war on Ukraine, and that impact on children. And absolutely, I strongly believe that there is a possibility to bring President Putin and everyone else who committed war crimes in Ukraine to accountability for what they've done,” Galadza said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

She noted that Canada supports the ICC and all its work in Ukraine, as well as the work of investigating international crimes around the world. In particular, Canada provided funding to the court to help cope with the increased workload and increased demands as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“The arrest warrant is a kind of a net. It is a kind of stricture and a very strong sign that the International Criminal Court is working here in Ukraine, in The Hague, with international support from countries like Canada. And I expect that we're going to see more from the ICC,” the ambassador stressed.

Galadza also called the issue of prosecution of the Russian Federation for the crime of aggression important. “This is another very, very important question that Ukraine's friends around the world that Canada wants to see move forward: prosecuting Russia for the crime of aggression. But the question is how best to do it. That's why the Core Group was formed. And yes, Canada is a member of the Core Group. We are working with likeminded partners to figure out how to prosecute the crime of aggression, prosecute Russia for Russia's aggression,” she said.