Meeks, McCaul introduce bill to document Russian war crimes in Ukraine

The top House lawmakers with oversight of foreign affairs introduced legislation on Thursday to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for potential war crimes. 

The bill, called the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act, aims to strengthen U.S. efforts to collect evidence that can be used to prosecute Russian war crimes in Ukraine. 

It was introduced House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), and ranking member Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). 

The legislation follows a State Department announcement that it has determined Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine, though it has not yet published its account.

The Biden administration also has not previewed what action it would take in response to the war crimes determination, likely to include sanctions, but said it would work to share its evidence in judicial arenas where Russian individuals, possibly including Putin, can be prosecuted. 

Such venues may include the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice at the United Nations, Ukrainian courts, or other domestic courts in Europe or possible the U.S.

Meeks said in a statement that the legislation “requires the Administration to detail the process our government will undertake to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence of these war crimes, so that perpetrators of these and other atrocities are held accountable.”

The legislation also calls for the administration to detail the process through which a domestic, foreign, or international court or tribunal could request and obtain information related to war crimes or other atrocities from the United States,” the chairman continued. 

McCaul added that “It is vital that the U.S. and the free world build a case against Russia for their atrocities and work to deter them from committing future war crimes. We owe the brave Ukrainian people this commitment.”