US to withdraw from group investigating Russian leadership for crimes against Ukraine, NYT reports
The U.S. has privately told European officials that it is pulling back from an international group investigating Russian leaders for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine, the New York Times reported on March 17, citing undisclosed sources.
The move underscores the foreign policy shift in Washington as the Trump administration seeks to restore ties with Moscow while pushing for a swift peace deal in Ukraine.
The decision is expected to be announced on March 17 in an email to the group's parent organization, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), the New York Times wrote.
The Hague-based International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is a judicial hub supporting national investigations into the crime of aggression committed by the Russian leadership, including President Vladimir Putin, and Moscow's allies against Ukraine.
While the group is made up of specialists from Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and the Baltic countries, the Biden administration appointed a special prosecutor to support the hub's activities in 2023.
The Trump administration will also reduce the work of the U.S. Justice Department's War Crimes Accountability Team, which was launched in 2022 to investigate Russia for the atrocities it had committed during the full-scale invasion.
Ukraine is investigating more than 150,000 possible war crimes committed by Russia as part of its all-out war, including the summary execution of prisoners and targeted aerial strikes against civilians.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to mend the ties with Moscow in an effort to bring a swift end to the war while adopting a more antagonistic stance toward Ukraine and other partners.
The U.S. has briefly halted military and intelligence support for Kyiv while also cutting key foreign aid supporting programs aimed at the prosecution of Russian war crimes and the restoration of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
On the international scene, the U.S. has sought to water down joint statements labeling Russia as the aggressor and the "sole obstacle" to peace.
Read also: Trump-Putin phone call expected this week, US hopes for ceasefire within weeks, envoy says
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Stocks rally as Trump-Musk feud cools down
Stocks rally as Trump-Musk feud cools down originally appeared on TheStreet. Crypto stocks bounced back on June 7 as both President Donald Trump and Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) boss Elon Musk retreated from their big, ugly feud from the previous day. Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR), which had dipped around 6% yesterday, was trading at $375.01 at press time, up 1.69% a day. Helmed by Michael Saylor, the company is the largest public Bitcoin treasury company. The largest U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN) had slipped as much as 10% the day before. The stock, which made it to the much-coveted spot on the S&P 500 in May, was trading at $254.31, up 4% a day. The crypto and stock trading exchange Robinhood (Nasdaq: HOOD) dipped around 8% on the day of the feud. It was trading at $76.24, up 5% a day. The story of Bitcoin miners was no different as the two men engaged in a heated public exchange over social media and press briefings on June 6. MARA Holdings (MARA) fell as much as 7% yesterday but was trading at $15.93, up 7.02% a day. Hut 8 Group (HUT) had similarly slipped by 7% the day before but rallied an impressive 14.83% to trade at $18.74. HIVE Digital (Nasdaq: HIVE) had slid around 9% yesterday and made the same recovery of 9% today to trade at $2.0042. Bitdeer (Nasdaq: BTDR) had also slipped 9% and successfully recovered by 11% to trade at $14.07 today. Notably, the stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) made an impressive debut on the day of the feud. CRCL was trading at $116.07 at press time, up 40% a day. Musk, who quit the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by the end of May, has been criticizing Trump's "big, beautiful bill" since then. The disagreement escalated into an ugly public exchange the previous day that shook the markets. Stocks rally as Trump-Musk feud cools down first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared. Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Trump boasts of ‘big win' over AP as court allows WH to ban access after ‘Gulf of America' spat
President Trump celebrated a 'big win' Friday after a court ruled that his administration can ban the Associated Press from entering the Oval Office and other restricted areas. 'Big WIN over AP today,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'They refused to state the facts or the Truth on the GULF OF AMERICA. FAKE NEWS!!!' Advertisement The 2-1 ruling in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia comes months after the White House barred an Associated Press reporter from the Oval Office in protest of the outlet's style guidance on the Gulf of America. The outlet manages the 'Associated Press Stylebook,' which is widely used by media publications across the country for guidance on abbreviations, spelling, references and more. The AP has refrained from updating its style guide to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, as mandated by Trump's executive order, arguing that the body of water has been called the Gulf of Mexico for 'more than 400 years' and other international groups have not acknowledged the change. Advertisement 'VICTORY! As we've said all along, the Associated Press is not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in other sensitive locations,' White House press secretary Karoline Levitt posted to X following the ruling. 'Thousands of other journalists have never been afforded the opportunity to cover the President in these privileged spaces. Moving forward, we will continue to expand access to new media so that more people can cover the most transparent President in American history rather than just the failing legacy media. 'And by the way @AP, it's still the Gulf of America.' 'We are disappointed in the court's decision and are reviewing our options,' a spokesperson for AP told CNN.
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Anvee Bhutani — Reporting Intern at The Wall Street Journal
Anvee Bhutani is a reporting intern and part of the summer 2025 newsroom intern class at The Wall Street Journal's London bureau. Anvee has reported across four continents, from the aftermath of the Moroccan earthquake and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon to the U.S.-Mexico border and the Muslim minority in India. At the University of Oxford, her investigation into sexual misconduct by professors who remained in their posts sparked national media coverage and led to university policy reforms. Most recently, she has been a contributing reporter with the New York Times, covering the government crackdown on higher education. Anvee previously worked with the BBC, the Telegraph and Channel 4. She also has interned at CNN and MSNBC, where she was part of the Emmy-nominated 2024 election night coverage. Her bylines have appeared in the Guardian, Teen Vogue and more. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School with honors and the University of Oxford, Anvee was editor in chief of her university paper and served as student body president. She speaks Hindi and Spanish fluently, with working knowledge of French and Arabic.
