Liberation of Bucha: letter to Ukrainian Consulate

From:  Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson 
To: Andrii Kuslii, Consulate of Ukraine, Edinburgh

Dear Andrii,

On this, the first anniversary of Ukrainian forces liberating Bucha from occupying Russian forces, I would like to reiterate the Scottish Government’s strong view that Russia must be held accountable for the atrocities it has committed in Ukraine.

The scenes witnessed in Bucha were heart-breaking and reminiscent of a Europe we had all hoped had been left in the last century.   In mourning the victims of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, I would like to again pay tribute to the bravery and skill of Ukraine’s armed forces.  Without their liberation of Bucha and other areas previously occupied by Russian forces, these atrocities would not have come to light.

Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine reminds us just how fragile the post-1945 rules based international order remains – and how real the threat to global peace and human rights from brutal regimes like Putin’s.

The International Criminal Court is an independent judicial institution and it is for the ICC Prosecutor to determine who should be prosecuted. We nevertheless welcome the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for President Putin and Russia’s Children’s Commissioner.  We reiterate our support for Ukraine’s application instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation before the International Court of Justice under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and urge Russia to comply with the Court’s Order on Provisional Measures of 16 March 2022.

We also support the aim of the core group of nations that has been established to pursue criminal accountability for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, that is to create a mechanism that ensures Russia’s leaders and military commanders are held to account.  We call on all countries involved to come to a swift conclusion that upholds international justice.

Scotland is proud to support Ukraine.  We do this by hosting displaced Ukrainians in communities and homes across the country, and through funding humanitarian projects, including most recently a further £1 million to provide generators and blankets. 

This practical support is more than matched by our solidarity with the people and government of Ukraine which, I assure you, will not waver.

Yours sincerely
Angus Robertson