Prof. Andrew Tettenborn from Swansea University said that Russians have a long tradition of atrocities and collective punishment of civilians who are not on the right side. He added that the war crimes committed in cities like Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, and Motyzhyn have to be prosecuted.

The expert, who was a guest on TVP World, added that no sanctions against Russia should be lifted until high-ranked officials take responsibility for the genocide committed in Ukraine.

“Even if Russia is driven out of Ukraine, which is a distinct possibility, one thing we want is the number of people handed over or subjected to war crimes trials. As long as you continue to shield war criminals we see no reason why we should be willing to lift sanctions,” prof. Tettenborn said.

In his opinion, it is unlikely that Vladimir Putin will be prosecuted for the war crimes but there is a chance that some senior Russian generals will face punishment.

Prof. Tettenborn said that the act of cutting off food supplies to Ukrainian cities can be added to the list of war crimes as Russians openly engage in the starvation of civilians. He recalled that the same was done by the Soviet Union in the 1930s when several million Ukrainians died of hunger.

He pointed out that there should not even be a hint of sanctions being lifted against Russia until all invasion forces are moved out of Ukraine.

“We should be very cautious before raising sanctions. But it may be wise to say that Russia in future will not be selling as much gas and hydrocarbons to the west as it has been in the past,” prof. Teeterborn said.

With regard to the military support for Ukraine, he indicated that Great Britain is providing modern weapons which make a big difference in a clash against an undertrained Russian army.

“Starstreak surface-to-air missiles are absolutely vital in this conflict. They are one of the very few missiles that are immune to infrared and anti-radar countermeasures. There is also talk about sending naval strike missiles, and that could be very significant if only to discourage naval bombardment but also to discourage landing craft,” prof. Teeterborn said.

He stressed that effective naval strike missiles may be crucial for pushing back an attack on Odesa, the largest Ukrainian seaport in the Black Sea.