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European foreign ministers approved the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine during a meeting in Lviv on May 9. The tribunal, which will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe, aims to prosecute Russia's top political and military leadership, including President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine expects the tribunal to start work in 2026. The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Hodunova spoke with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel about the future tribunal and its role in bringing justice for Ukraine.

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US official: Pressure on Putin over nukes forces him to change war tactics

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U.S. Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said in Kyiv that the warnings from other states convinced Russian dictator Vladimir Putin that the reaction to the use of nuclear weapons by Moscow would be unprecedented and difficult for Russia.

“You have seen that not only the U.S. but other G7 members have been reaching out to the Kremlin with signals that it is absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible to throw this around,” Nuland said.

Russia made itself a pariah, Nuland said, adding that the Western counties jointly explained to Russia that the use of nuclear weapons would have a response and consequences of an incomparable level.

“After that, Russia moved to a fundamentally different weapon, launching attacks on energy infrastructure,” Nuland said, adding that the tactics chosen by Russian forces instead are also absolutely unacceptable.

On Oct. 2, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that he had privately conveyed to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu not to use nukes.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sept. 26 said that President Joe Biden’s administration had privately communicated with the Kremlin regarding the “decisive” response of the U.S. and other Western allies if Russia uses nuclear weapons.

“We have been clear and specific about what that will entail,” Sullivan said.

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The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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