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.

Trump-Putin phone call expected this week, US hopes for ceasefire within weeks, envoy says

“I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we’re also continuing to engage and have a conversation with the Ukrainians,” Witkoff told CNN after meeting Putin in Moscow on March 13, as cited by Reuters.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk