Ukraine will become a signatory country to the Rome Statute after the UN Secretary General accepts the instrument of ratification, but this does not affect the ICC investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine, ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah has said.

At a meeting with Ukrainian journalists in The Hague, he explained that in order to become a partner state of the ICC's Rome Statute, a state must deposit an instrument of ratification or accession with the Secretary General of the United Nations, since his office is the depository of all international treaties.

"From the first day of the month, after 60 days from this date, the state officially becomes a party," the spokesperson said.

According to him, only after depositing the document the state can be considered a party to the ICC.

"Becoming a state party does not affect the investigation into Ukraine, because it is already open," the ICC spokesman emphasized.

Speaking about what ratification of the Rome Statute will give Ukraine, the spokesperson noted that it is about greater opportunities for harmonizing national legislation with the ICC, which will improve complementarity in the work of the ICC and national judicial bodies.