Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. Delivers Remarks Announcing the Launch of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine

Good morning. The United States Department of Justice is proud to stand with our European partners and be among the first to participate in the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA).

I want to thank everyone who has played a role in launching the ICPA, including my close friends and colleagues with whom I have the honor of sharing this stage. Eurojust’s ability to operationalize the concept of the ICPA within months is absolutely remarkable and demonstrates the ingenuity of this exceptional agency.

The Justice Department’s newly appointed U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression, Jessica Kim, will represent the United States at the ICPA, and she will have unfettered access to the substantial body of expertise and resources that the Department has amassed in response to Russia’s unlawful war of aggression against the people of Ukraine.

The ICPA is the most recent addition to the ecosystem for investigating and prosecuting atrocity crimes committed in Ukraine. The Centre complements other domestic, regional, and international efforts to promote accountability and combat impunity.

Two weeks ago, our Attorney General Merrick Garland visited The Hague so that he could see and observe firsthand the robust response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by our Dutch partners, and at Eurojust, Europol, and the International Criminal Court, indeed becoming the first Attorney General to visit the ICC.

During his visit here, the Attorney General pledged that the United States would contribute to Eurojust’s Core International Crimes Evidence Database. I am proud to announce that last week the United States made its initial contribution to this very important database. And it will not be our last.

Today, we honor the launch of the ICPA. Tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves and get back to work. Together, we will pursue justice no matter how long it takes. Thank you.