Kiev – The pro-Western government in Ukraine announced Sunday that it plans to bring charges before the International Criminal Court in The Hague against the pro-Russian separatists it blames for the large number of civilian deaths in the east of Ukraine.
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The Ukrainian government would also like to have the self-proclaimed People‘s Republic of Donetsk and Lugansk declared a terrorist organization internationally.
In response to Saturday‘s attack on the port city of Mariupol, in which at least 30 civilians were killed, Ukraine‘s National Security Council has ordered new weapons for its armed forces.
The government and the separatists have blamed each other for the attacks.
Ukraine has recently strengthened its military capabilities.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said tragedies like Mariupol could have been avoided if Ukraine had withdrawn its weapons from the conflict zone as agreed.
During a telephone conversation with the EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Federica Mogherini, Lavrov said Kiev was responsible for the tense situation in eastern Ukraine.
Mogherini, who has condemned the escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine and called on Moscow to stop supporting the pro-Russian rebels, announced Sunday that EU foreign ministers would meet on Thursday to discuss the situation.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe also said it planned to meet Monday.
