Minister of Justice Rimantas Mockus: we must to step up the pressure on the aggressor's ability to finance the war
Minister of Justice Rimantas Mockus is taking part at the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Justice of the European Union in Brussels today, where EU Ministers of Justice are discussing the immediate measures to ensure support to Ukraine.
Minister of Justice Rimantas Mockus called on the Ministers of Justice to assume greater responsibility for the security of Ukraine and Europe, as this is the only way to avoid violations of international law in the future.
“We must ensure a united and decisive European response by increasing the pressure on the aggressor's ability to finance the war. This will depend on strong action to enforce by legal measures the sanctions which disrupt the aggressor's industrial and technological facilities and are effective as illustrated by russia's active attempts to circumvent the sanctions," the Minister stressed today.
Rimantas Mockus stated: “For russia to feel real financial consequences as soon as possible, we must speed up the processes for confiscating the frozen and immobilised assets of the aggressor and for their direct use to support Ukraine. This would not only be a moral act, but also a very specific act of justice, allowing the war-torn country to rebuild and strengthen its capacity to defend itself. The EU holds more than two thirds of the russian assets frozen in the West. If we really want to help Ukraine, we must do this homework immediately”.
The Minister noted that it was obvious that delaying justice leads to new crimes by the russian regime. Decisive further steps in the establishment of the Special Tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine must be carried out as soon as possible. The aggressor must be held accountable for its actions. We must demonstrate by our joint action that justice, the rule of law and solidarity with Ukraine are the foundations of our strength and security.
The EU Ministers of Justice also focused on the issues of independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.
“As it is known, back in 2020, russia initiated proceedings against the Lithuanian judges who were dealing with the case concerning the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the soviet union in Vilnius on 13 January 1991. An international search for these judges was launched. In the light of this Lithuanian experience, the EC Guidelines on Extradition to Third Countries were adopted in 2022, establishing a mechanism to alert of potential political persecution. We must continue to make every effort to combat disinformation and any attempts to rewrite history,” stressed Rimantas Mockus.
The meeting of the EU Council of Ministers of Justice discussed the right to effective judicial remedies, increasing confidence in the judiciary, effective implementation of the principle of judicial independence at EU level and other issues.
Last updated: 04-04-2025