Ukraine and the International Criminal Court on Thursday signed a deal for a field office to probe war crimes, days after the tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said the agreement for an ICC office in Ukraine was the "beginning of a new chapter" in Kyiv's cooperation with the court.
"This is just a start, a strong start," Kostin said at a signing ceremony in The Hague, according to an ICC statement.
"I'm convinced that we will not stop until all perpetrators of international crimes committed in Ukraine are brought to justice, independently of their political or military position,” AFP quoted him as saying.
ICC Registrar Peter Lewis said the court was grateful for Ukraine's help and "look(s) forward to strengthening our cooperation in the future".
Ukraine becomes the latest country to host an ICC field office after the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda; Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Georgia and Mali.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin on Friday, saying he was allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine.
Russian leaders should be put on trial for the invasion of Ukraine even if they cannot be arrested and brought to court in person, Kyiv's top prosecutor said.
Speaking to Reuters, he said that a planned tribunal for the crime of aggression should hold so-called trials in absentia.
The special tribunal should go after "the highest political and military leadership, including Putin, for the crime of aggression," Kostin said.
"I believe that it could be (held) in absentia, because it's important to deliver a matter of justice for international crimes even if perpetrators are not in the dock."
