US backs effort to document damages in Ukraine for reparations claim

The United States is throwing its support behind a bid to document damages from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hoping the effort will lead to post-war reparations, according to a letter seen by AFP. The UN General Assembly backed the idea of an “international register” that would document damages across Ukraine from the war unleashed by Russia in February 2022. Marija Pejcinovic Buric, the head of the Council of Europe, earlier proposed that the Strasbourg-based group take the lead on the register.

In a letter ahead of the meeting of the Council of Europe on Tuesday in Reykjavik devoted mostly to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States would provide funding and serve as an “associate member” of the nascent register. “Establishing a Register of Damage to document claims of damage from Russia’s brutal war is a critical step in this effort,” she wrote.

The United States in March also voiced support for another international effort on Ukraine — a special tribunal to consider the crime of aggression. Ahead of her trip, Thomas-Greenfield discussed efforts to renew a UN-backed deal to ensure exports of grain from Ukraine, a key breadbasket, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

The World Bank estimated in March that Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery needs amounted to $411 billion, 2.6 times the country’s estimated 2022 gross domestic product. As President Biden has stated, the United States has committed to holding Russia accountable for its war of aggression against Ukraine. However, the United States faces criticism for supporting Ukraine’s efforts for reparations without actually committing military support.

Ukraine has been fighting pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbas region since 2014. In February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, sparking a war that has left thousands dead and displaced millions. The conflict has brought widespread destruction to Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy, with many homes, businesses, and government buildings destroyed.