European foreign ministers approved the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine during a meeting in Lviv on May 9.
The tribunal, which will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe, aims to prosecute Russia's top political and military leadership, including President Vladimir Putin.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
In a joint statement, coalition representatives welcomed the completion of technical work on the legal instruments necessary to establish the tribunal.
They cited the UN General Assembly resolutions on aggression against Ukraine and the Vienna-Riga Statement of Nov. 22, 2024, as the foundation for the tribunal's mandate.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to launching the tribunal's work as soon as possible and called on additional states and international organizations to join and support the tribunal's activities.
The next formal step will be at the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg on May 13–14.
The statement was endorsed in the presence of EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and Council of Europe Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and Rule of Law Michael McGrath.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv on May 9. The visit coincided with Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow, an annual event the Kremlin uses to showcase military might and justify its war against Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has long advocated for the tribunal to ensure that Putin and other senior Russian officials face justice for launching the invasion nearly three years ago.
Ukrainian authorities have documented thousands of war crimes, including deliberate strikes on civilians, cultural heritage sites, medical facilities, as well as 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.
Unlike other international charges such as war crimes or crimes against humanity, the crime of aggression targets only the top leadership responsible for planning and waging a war.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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