A coalition of 38 countries, including all EU members, announced on Feb. 4 that they had made "significant progress" toward establishing a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Euronews reported.
"No one from Russia and no one from Russia's leadership is untouchable," said Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat.
The tribunal, set to operate within the Council of Europe, will focus on Russia's political and military leaders, including President Vladimir Putin.
"To wait is not an option. We must really act as fast as possible. And we will do the best way to try to finish the work this year," said Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset.
Legal experts are reportedly drafting a statute to define the tribunal's jurisdiction, with the document expected to be signed in April at the 14th meeting of the coalition participants.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been a strong advocate for the tribunal, seeking to hold Putin accountable for launching the full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.
Ukrainian authorities have documented thousands of war crimes by Russian forces, including deliberate attacks on civilians, cultural sites, and medical institutions, as well as cases of torture and forced deportations.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
In March 2024, the ICC also issued warrants for two Russian military commanders for strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the winter of 2022-2023.
Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide — charges that apply to individuals at all levels of a military conflict — the crime of aggression is a charge that can be brought exclusively against the top leadership of an aggressor state.
Kate Tsurkan
(Updated: )
