More now on the news that Russia has been referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by 38 different countries over suspected war crimes committed during its invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the UK foreign office said that it has "led efforts to bring together allies", including all 27 members of the EU, Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland, to report Vladimir Putin's regime to the court.
Dominic Raab, the UK's Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, said in a statement: "As a founder member of the International Criminal Court, the UK is willing to provide the necessary technical assistance to support successful convictions."
"Any Russian leader or officer carrying out orders that amount to war crimes should know they face ending up in the dock of a court and ultimately in prison," Raab added.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that Putin's regime has "indiscriminately" targeted civilians and added the "UK will work closely with allies to ensure justice is done".
While Russia is a signatory of the Geneva Convention, the international treaty that defines war crimes, it withdrew from the ICC in 2016 after it classified the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula as an occupation.
It means that individuals charged by the court will have to be detained in countries that accept its jurisdiction, perhaps confining Putin to Russia and allied states for the rest of his life.
