Vladimir Putin could face a war crimes trial, Boris Johnson has indicated, as the UK considers trying to suspend Russia from the United Nations Security Council.
The Prime Minister said that all those involved in the “Russian onslaught” in Ukraine should understand that evidence is being gathered for a possible trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mr Johnson said that the Russian president was using “barbaric” tactics in the invasion of Ukraine, though insisted claims of cluster bomb use would need to be verified.
Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister and a former Foreign Office lawyer, told Sky News: “Those that engage in war crimes will be held to account.”
Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, has said that he plans to open an investigation “as rapidly as possible” into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leadership has already accused Russia of war crimes during the invasion over the bombardment of civilian areas in Kharkiv.
The Prime Minister addressed recent reports of bombing of Ukrainian civilians at a press conference held during his visit to Poland on Tuesday.
Mr Johnson said: “On Putin’s tactics, there’s no doubt that he’s already using barbaric tactics, bombing civilian areas. I’ve seen the reports about cluster bombs and thermobaric weapons. They will of course have to be verified.
“But I think that everybody involved in the Russian onslaught should understand that all this will be collated in evidence to be used at a future time in what could be proceedings before the International Criminal Court.
“I hope people understand that if you’re going to use illegal weapons against innocent civilians, you’re going to be brought to the bar of history, or rather to the International Criminal Court before then. I hope that he gets that.”
Mr Raab, who is also Justice Secretary, said it must be clear “both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow and on the ground in Ukraine that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war”.
The Foreign Office is considering what action it can take at the UN in New York to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The Telegraph understands one option being looked at is suspending Russia from the UN Security Council.
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Such a move would likely need support from the other permanent members of the UN Security Council: the US, France and China.
Simon Coveney, Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs, has said that there is “indisputable evidence” of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
“We’ve seen I think indisputable evidence now that war crimes are taking place in Ukraine – the brutalising of a number of Ukrainian cities, the deliberate targeting of civilians,” he told reporters in Dublin.
“First of all, it is now under investigation from the International Criminal Court, who have now opened a file on potential war crimes in Ukraine, and I think that says a lot.
“But I think we can see for ourselves in terms of some of the social media pictures that are coming out, which I think are being stood over by the media organisations, as to the extent of civilian targeting in Ukrainian cities, which is essentially terrorising civilian populations.
“And that is something that can’t go unchecked and we need to call it out.”
