The United States has decided to withdraw from an international coalition investigating Russian crimes committed in Ukraine. The move, made by the Trump administration, signals a shift in US policy and a departure from previous commitments to holding Russian leaders accountable. Despite the crucial role played by the US in the War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT), the administration has justified the decision by citing the need to reallocate resources.
The US Department of Justice has quietly informed European officials that it will no longer participate in the International Centre for the Investigation of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. This coalition, which was established in 2023 under President Joe Biden, was tasked with investigating war crimes and acts of aggression committed by Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Iran. The investigation specifically targets Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials responsible for the invasion of Ukraine.
The US was the only non-European country cooperating with the group, sending a senior Justice Department prosecutor to The Hague to work alongside investigators from Ukraine, the Baltic states, and Romania. The withdrawal will be formally announced on Monday in a message to members of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, also known as Eurojust.
The Trump administration is also reducing the work of the War Crimes Accountability Team, an initiative launched in 2022 under Attorney General Merrick Garland. This team was established to coordinate US efforts in supporting Ukraine’s legal actions against Russian war criminals. It has played a key role in training Ukrainian prosecutors, providing logistical support, and helping to build cases against Russian forces. In December 2023, the US Department of Justice used war crimes legislation for the first time in nearly three decades to indict four Russian soldiers in absentia for torturing an American citizen in Ukraine’s Kherson region.
No official reason has been given for the withdrawal beyond the general explanation of reallocating resources. However, this move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader approach to scaling back commitments to Ukraine. The decision is likely to weaken international legal efforts to hold Russia accountable for war crimes and undermine Ukraine’s ability to pursue justice for atrocities committed on its territory.
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine negotiations has stated that discussions on a potential ceasefire involve various elements, including agreements on Black Sea security, port access, and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Trump has also announced his intention to speak with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, March 18, as part of his push to negotiate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
