Ukraine in The Hague to demand creation of separate account in EU for Russia to pay reparations

"We work towards setting a precedent in payments and accumulating the money that is now paid to Russia for gas and oil. This money must stop flowing into Russian accounts and must be accumulated on a special account in the EU so that Russia does not receive these funds. This money must be transferred to Ukraine for the recovery of Ukraine's economy and reparations, and also for the Russian Federation to be punished and pay in full for all the crimes it commits in Ukraine," Lana Zerkal, a member of the Ukrainian delegation for participation in the oral arguments at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, said on the air of Ukrainian TV channel.

According to Zerkal, this account opens on the basis of EU sanctions by European states which now receive energy from Russia.

"Instead of coming to Russia, and according to estimates by European countries themselves, it is almost a billion dollars a month, these funds are deposited in a special account and then the sum is transferred to Ukraine," she added.

On February 24, Russian president Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops shell and destroy infrastructure, conduct massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and towns using artillery, MLRS, and ballistic missiles.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

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