An important first step in holding Russia accountable for war crimes will be taken at an international conference in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv this weekend.

The agreement to create a new International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA) will be signed at the conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced today.

It is intended to secure evidence for future legal proceedings, and will be based in the building of the European Union Organization for Cooperation in the Field of Criminal Justice (Eurojust) in The Hague.

Russia and President Vladimir Putin must be held accountable for the terrible crimes against Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen said in a video message. There is increasing evidence of direct attacks against the civilian population as well as energy and other infrastructure.

“Torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence and summary executions are known to have been committed by Russian forces. Not even children have been spared,” said von der Leyen.

“We must do everything we can to bring the perpetrators to justice,” von der Leyen said. The EU supports the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in this.

However, the EU also believes there should be a separate court to prosecute the crime of aggression committed by Russia, he added.

Since Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, the court cannot take action for crimes committed by the country, the European Commission said.

Therefore, various other options are under discussion. The ICPA is a first step in this process to secure evidence for future trials, the Commission said.

According to the EU, the “Together for Justice” conference will continue until tomorrow, Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday via video link that the central issue is the responsibilities of Russia and its leadership for the attack and terror against Ukraine.