A few days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Ukraine filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The complaint specifically concerned what Russia has used as a justification under international law for its war of aggression against the neighboring country: the accusation that the Kiev regime has committed genocide against ethnic Russians, especially in the Donbass and Luhansk .
18 countries, including the United States, Germany, Great Britain and the other Nordic countries, supported Ukraine’s complaint.
Former defense and foreign affairs minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide is now calling on the government to do the same.
– Now almost nine months have passed since Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine, the former foreign minister tells Dagbladet.
– I think it is very strange that the government did not support Ukraine’s complaint, he says and adds:
– I think it took an unusually long time for the government to take a stand.
Zelenskyj: – A historic day
Defender of international law
Eriksen Søreide believes there are two main reasons why Norway should announce its support for Ukraine’s denunciation in The Hague:
For Ukraine and for just cause, but also for Norway and for respecting international law.
– Norway is a strong defender of international law. Then we should intervene when violations of international law occur, whether through war, but also through the use of false justifications – which can in itself be a violation of international law, says the Conservative leader.
– This is an issue that all our closest allies and partners – very early on – supported, he says and adds:
– It shouldn’t be a complicated decision to make.
Eriksen Søreide, who chairs the Storting’s foreign affairs and defense committee, points out that Norway supports Ukraine in many other areas, both by condemning the Russian invasion and by donating arms and defense material.
– This is political support in support of international law, both for Ukraine, but also for future cases. We have to do our part on a daily basis to uphold international law, he says.
– Don’t think the war is over
– It is touching now to see the scenes from Kherson, with people in the streets thanking the Ukrainian soldiers. Now they have the courage to live again after months of brutal occupation.
However, the former foreign minister is clear that the background of the war must be remembered when looking at the images of the victory.
– We must not think that the war is over. It’s easy to believe the war is about to end when you see images like this, but there’s nothing to indicate it.
She elaborates:
– Russian forces deliberately destroyed civilian infrastructure during their retreat. Now they are rearranging. There is no reason to believe that Russia has begun a large and general withdrawal, says Eriksen Søreide and stresses that continued Allied support for Ukraine is absolutely necessary.
Increased brutality
Eriksen Søreide also believes that the hardships will cause Russian forces to increase the brutality of the war.
– This is a major defeat Russia is suffering on the ground – but it also means that brutality could increase and attacks on civilians could increase – because they lack military means. When winter comes, attacks on civilians and infrastructure can sadly become an extremely effective tool, she says.
The former minister believes Norway should be a driving force in the work to document war crimes, even in anticipation of the end of the war.
– A court settlement is decisive. There is no doubt that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine, says Eriksen Søreide and points out that both Ukrainian authorities and international observers have had little access to Russian-occupied areas.
– What the Ukrainian authorities say is that the more areas that are liberated, the more signs of war crimes are found. The guilty must be held accountable, she says.
The devil in the ruins
War crimes hunt
The Conservative Party has asked the government to support the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICPM) – which, among other things, works to identify uncovered dead people in Ukraine and collect evidence of war crimes, says Eriksen Søreide.
– Both for next of kin, but also for documenting war crimes. So far the government has said no, says Eriksen Søreide, who reiterates his appeal to the government regarding both The Hague and the ICPM.
Dagbladet has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the case. They have not yet been able to respond to the inquiry.
