This past Tuesday, the Verkhovna Rada accepted the resignation of Andriy Kostin as Prosecutor General of Ukraine. His two-and-a-half-year tenure in that office was one of the lengthiest, and certainly one of the most consequential, of any Prosecutor General since Ukraine’s independence in 1991. Throughout his time as Prosecutor General (PG), he was a strong partner of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA). PG Kostin wholeheartedly welcomed the efforts — implemented through ACA — by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom to assist his office in its mandate to investigate and prosecute the tens of thousands of atrocity crimes committed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Addressing these crimes in the context of an ongoing armed conflict on one’s own territory is an immense challenge, but PG Kostin did much to enhance his office’s capacity for doing so. He also initiated reforms that will better position the Office of the Prosecutor General to handle this huge caseload for years into the future — something that, unfortunately, will be necessary given the scale of the crimes.

Additionally, PG Kostin was a tireless advocate on the world stage for accountability in Ukraine. This is a critical mission, and it’s hard to imagine anyone could have been more effective than he was in doggedly making the case for Ukraine. As time goes by and as other crises, such as the conflict in the Middle East, have arisen, the attention of the international community inevitably has been diverted elsewhere. PG Kostin, however, recognized the importance of maintaining this broad, global coalition supporting justice for Ukraine, for this is not something that Ukraine can do alone,or in isolation. I am confident that his efforts to expand this coalition and to promote a web of accountability, utilizing different processes at the international, third-state and domestic levels, will pay dividends in the future and will help ensure, over the long term, a degree of justice for Ukraine.

As he departs his post as Prosecutor General, I wish to express my gratitude to Andriy for the strong partnership we have enjoyed over the last two and a half years. We look forward to building on that foundation and continuing our collaboration with the Acting Prosecutor General, Oleksii Khomenko, with whom we have worked closely during his tenure as Deputy PG, and with whomever might be selected to succeed Prosecutor General Kostin on a more permanent basis. We wish Andriy well in his future endeavors and, again, thank him for the work he has done with us and on behalf of Ukraine.”

Український переклад