Athens to ask ICC for war crimes probe into Mariupol
Greece is going to ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to launch an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine’s southern port of Mariupol, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias announced on Thursday.
“Greece will ask the International Court of Justice in The Hague to investigate war crimes committed in Mariupol,” he said arriving at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
Greece, he added, has a “specific, special interest in Mariupol because of the existence of a Greek community of 100,000 and more people in Mariupol.”
Western countries and NGOs have been calling for a humanitarian corridor to help evacuate civilians in the besides city and provide relief, but Russia has not yet agreed to the move.
Dendias also said on Thursday he would ask his NATO colleagues “to try our best to help Ukraine to protect Odessa, so that Odessa can avoid the fate of Mariupol.”
When asked how can NATO colleagues help with this, he said “by giving Ukraine the adequate means to protect the city.”
“I have to say, they are willing and able to protect the city, provided that we provide them with the adequate means,” he added.
At the same time, Ukraine will urge the West to impose a full embargo on gas and oil exports from Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said on Thursday, calling for more weapons to be given to his country.
“We will continue to insist on a full embargo on oil and gas,” he told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, in the presence of Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
