“Commited by Men”: Individual Criminal Responsibility for Aggression Against Ukraine

Abstract

The article deals with the personal scope of criminal responsibility for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. While the Kampala amendments to the Statute of the International Criminal Court have further strengthened the crime of aggression’s leadership character, they have also limited the possibility of holding individuals accountable as accomplices. Nonetheless, this article posits that there are still avenues within the current legal framework to bring key individuals involved in the aggression against Ukraine to justice. It examines different factions within the Russian leadership and the leaders of Belarus and also explores the possibility of bringing Russian propagandists to account. The article advocates for a careful selection policy that balances international and domestic systems better to serve the cause of accountability. Pursuing investigations and prosecutions against these groups should result in an outcome that re#ects the extent of the criminality of Russia’s aggressive war.