Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin to discuss USAID's partnership with the government and people of Ukraine to support the documentation, investigation, and prosecution of alleged war crimes and human rights abuses resulting from the Russian Federation's brutal and senseless war. She reaffirmed USAID's commitment to work with Ukrainian and international partners to hold the Kremlin accountable for damage, loss, or injury caused by Russia's forces. The Administrator and the Prosecutor General discussed USAID's most recent work including support for two civil society coalitions that have thus far documented more than 25,000 instances of alleged war crimes and human rights abuses, delivered training to Ukraine's judiciary to administer and adjudicate domestic war crimes cases, and provided technical assistance to the Prosecutor General's Office to promote documentation and evidence collection and raise public awareness of war crimes accountability efforts. They also discussed the need for an international compensation mechanism to register and seek reparations for damage and losses resulting from the war.
During the meeting, Administrator Power and Prosecutor General Kostin also discussed Ukraine's progress on judicial reform and other anti-corruption measures, noting that these efforts are vital to Ukraine's economic recovery and a prerequisite for Ukraine's accession to the European Union. The Administrator emphasized the importance of continued progress, commending the government for the tangible steps that have been taken in recent months even amid the war, including the recent reconstitution of the High Council of Justice, which will allow for the appointment of new members of the High Qualifications Commission of Judges of Ukraine (HQCJ). The HQCJ will now be able to fill more than 2,200 judicial vacancies nationwide, dismiss and suspend judges for misconduct, and reform court operations.
