Thirty-Six Countries Approve Special Tribunal to Prosecute Vladimir Putin for Ukraine Invasion

Thirty-four European states plus Australia and Costa Rica, along with the European Union, signed up to a future special tribunal to prosecute Russia for crimes committed during its invasion of Ukraine, with the plan approved through a Council of Europe resolution laying groundwork for the court.

“Thirty-four European countries plus Australia, Costa Rica and the European Union as an entity on Friday signed up to a future special tribunal that will seek to prosecute Russia for crimes committed during its invasion of Ukraine”

DW

DW reported that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an agreement with the Council of Europe last year, and it quoted Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset saying, "The special tribunal represents justice and hope."

DW

The same DW account tied the tribunal push to immediate violence, noting that the decision came a day after a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the capital Kyiv killed 24 people.

In that context, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not allow such attacks to "go unpunished," and DW added that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the tribunal a "historic day."

France 24 similarly said the Council of Ministers approved a resolution laying groundwork for the future tribunal, and it described the tribunal as one that would allow Kyiv to prosecute Russia for a "crime of aggression" over its invasion.

France 24 said 36 countries approved creation of the special Ukraine tribunal, while DW described the sign-up as thirty-four European countries plus Australia, Costa Rica and the European Union as an entity.

Alain Berset’s message was echoed across outlets, with France 24 quoting him that "Action now needs to be taken to follow up on this political commitment" by securing the tribunal’s functioning and funding.

Euronews

DW also framed the tribunal as a response to the International Criminal Court’s limits, saying the Council of Europe’s tribunal is designed to prosecute issues that the ICC deems to be beyond its jurisdiction, such as the more fundamental decision to launch the invasion of Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent reported that the Netherlands has carried out preparatory work to host the court in The Hague and quoted Andrii Sybiha saying, "The Hague will restore justice from the ruins of war."

Euronews added that the tribunal marks a "point of no return" and quoted Sybiha saying, "The Special Tribunal becomes a legal reality."

Beyond the tribunal itself, the sources describe a broader accountability and compensation architecture, with the Kyiv Independent saying foreign ministers also noted progress on establishing the International Claims Commission to award financial compensation to victims of Russia's war against Ukraine.

“36 countries approve creation of special Ukraine tribunal to prosecute Russia Thirty-four European states – along with Australia and Costa Rica – said Friday they would join a proposed special tribunal for Ukraine”

France 24

The Kyiv Independent reported that a so-called Register of Damage has already received over 150,000 claims, and it said more countries need to back the claims commission before it can begin work.

It further stated that so far, five countries (Estonia, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, and Ukraine) plus the European Union have voted to ratify the convention underpinning the claims commission, with 25 required.

In parallel, INSIGHT EU MONITORING said the European Commission joined the Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and that the Commission is financially supporting establishment of the Tribunal with €10 million.

The same INSIGHT EU MONITORING account said the Claims Commission will be able to start its work after it has gathered 25 ratifications with sufficient financial contributions, linking the tribunal’s future prosecutions and the compensation pipeline to concrete funding and ratification thresholds.