Serhii Borshchevskyi
Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, expert of the Centre for russian Studies
DOI:
Abstract. In this article, the author recounts his participation in international negotiations on compensation for victims of Nazism. The narrative centres on the 1997 London Conference on Nazi Gold, which included a Ukrainian delegation. Through the lens of the conference’s preparation, its historical context, the exposure of Swiss banks’ role in concealing Nazi assets, and the creation of humanitarian funds in Switzerland, the article reveals the complex process through which the international community gradually acknowledged its moral responsibility toward the victims of the Second World War.
The author shows how the combined efforts of diplomats, historians, and civil society actors led to a rethinking of the term ‘Nazi gold’, expanding its meaning beyond the looting of national reserves to include forced labour and other crimes. The author pays particular attention to Ukraine’s involvement, highlighting the constraints that stemmed from its Soviet past, the absence of official statistics on Nazi victims, and the USSR’s political indifference to the fate of its own citizens who had survived occupation, captivity, or concentration camps.
The concept of ‘double victims’ — those who suffered under Nazism and later fell victim to Soviet totalitarianism — receives special focus. Additionally, the text outlines diplomatic subtleties of the negotiation process, the challenges posed by interactions with russian representatives, and the support Ukraine received from foreign partners, especially Germany.
The article offers both historical insight and contemporary political relevance. The author draws parallels with russia’s current war, underscoring the importance of legal groundwork for a future international tribunal on the crimes of ruscism.
Keywords: crime, tribunal, ‘Nazi gold’, ‘victims of Nazism’, reparations, captivity, concentration camp, filtration, compensation, ‘double victims’, ‘elder brother’, victims of ruscism, crimes of ruscism.
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