The apartment building in Dnipro destroyed by rockets, the many deaths: everything points to another war crime, as has happened so often and in so many other places in Ukraine since Russia attacked the country.

This also raises the question of how all these crimes should be legally prosecuted;

as possibly even the Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in the dock.

"It's about deterrence," said Annalena Baerbock on Monday in The Hague.

"But this is also about justice, for the victims."

Matthias Wysuwa

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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The Foreign Minister traveled to The Hague to propose a new approach.

Discussions have been going on for months about where and how those responsible for the war and the crimes can be held accountable.

The possibilities of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague are limited, Ukraine has long been promoting a special tribunal.

In The Hague, Baerbock not only met Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

The minister, who once studied international law herself, will also give a keynote speech at the Hague Academy of International Law.

Baerbock proposes a special tribunal in which Russian war crimes will be tried according to Ukrainian law - but which will be based abroad and strengthened with international elements and given broad legitimacy.

A tribunal that can investigate and try the Russian leadership.

But there are difficulties along the way.

Investigations are already underway

The ICC has long been investigating Russian war crimes and collecting evidence.

Ukraine is also investigating and more than a dozen other countries, including Germany.

Although neither Ukraine nor Russia is a party to the ICC, Ukraine submitted to its jurisdiction after the Russian annexation of Crimea.

Therefore, the ICC can investigate.

However, this only applies to allegations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This can be used to prosecute soldiers who have committed crimes and their superiors.

But the higher you go in the ranks, the harder it gets.

Those responsible for the trigger of all these crimes, for the planning, preparations and the order for war can hardly be prosecuted.

There are no war crimes without war, Baerbock speaks of the "original sin" in her speech.

Theoretically, the ICC can investigate allegations of aggression.

In fact, it is inconceivable that this would happen in this case.

The conditions for this are narrowly formulated, and Western countries such as France, Great Britain and America in particular were very critical of this accusation.

There was a fear of political abuse or simply of being taken before the ICC oneself – for example because of the war in Iraq.

This is what Russia is doing now.

Since it is not a state party, the United Nations Security Council would have to mandate the ICC to investigate allegations of aggression.

Moscow can easily prevent that with its veto.