President of the Supreme Court holds meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Ukraine

During the meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Ukraine, Robert Martin Müller, the President of the Supreme Court Stanislav Kravchenko expressed gratitude to the people and government of Austria for their humanitarian, financial, and political support of Ukraine in its fight for independence.

Stanislav Kravchenko emphasized that the primary task for Ukraine’s judiciary today is to create safe conditions for all participants in court proceedings, especially in courts located in frontline territories. In addition, under the conditions of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, national courts have begun receiving new categories of cases related to the war. As a result, Ukraine’s judicial system is already shaping unprecedented case law that will undoubtedly influence the development of international law.

At the same time, systemic challenges remain on the agenda, including a severe shortage of personnel in courts of all three instances and, accordingly, the need to optimize complex and lengthy procedures for the selection and appointment of judges.

Despite all these challenges, the SC President noted, the national judicial system has withstood the pressure, continues to operate, and fulfills its obligations — including those placed on the Supreme Court in the context of European integration. “On this path, support from international institutions and the experience of European countries are extremely important to us,” Stanislav Kravchenko said.

Ambassador Robert Martin Müller assured Ukraine of Austria’s support in the process of obtaining European Union membership. “We see significant progress by Ukraine, particularly in upholding the principle of the rule of law and the proper functioning of the Ukrainian legal system despite Russia’s full-scale armed aggression,” the Ambassador noted.

Robert Martin Müller also highlighted that Ukraine is an important economic partner for Austria, and the Austrian government is considering participation in Ukraine’s future post-war reconstruction. The Ambassador spoke about Austria’s involvement in assisting victims of Russian aggression and ensuring compensation for damages caused by the war. “Our common task is to ensure that the crimes of the aggressor state do not go unpunished,” emphasized Robert Martin Müller.

The parties also discussed the importance of high-quality and timely documentation of war crimes committed by Russia, the prospects of populating the international Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the functioning of the Special Tribunal, the development of humanitarian initiatives for the return and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russia, and further coordinated efforts toward Ukraine’s full membership in the European Union.

The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Ukraine, Daniel Röthlin.