Durbin Meets With U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, met with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield to discuss Ukraine’s continued resilience and determination to repel Russia’s unprovoked and illegal war. They also discussed the need to bring political stability to Haiti and the recent peace agreement ending the conflict in Ethiopia. Later today, Durbin is hosting Ukrainian Ambassador Markarova and members of the Ukrainian Parliament to discuss calls for a special tribunal to hold Russian leaders accountable for the crime of aggression.
“Amid the horrors unleashed by Putin against Ukrainian civilians, the United Nations, thanks in part to Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s tremendous leadership, has taken an active role in the response to the war, adopting resolutions condemning Russia’s actions and calling for swift withdrawal,” said Durbin. “UN member states have an important moral and historic responsibility in holding Putin and his henchmen accountable for the war crimes being committed in Ukraine.”
A photo of the meeting is available here.
The UN Human Rights Council established an independent international commission of inquiry into the war and the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court opened an investigation for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Durbin and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, legislation that updates the current war crimes statute to enable prosecution of foreign war criminals in the United States regardless of the location or targets of their atrocities. The bill also extends the statute of limitations for war crimes discovered years after they occur.
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