Ukraine, Council of Europe sign historic agreement to establish tribunal on Russian aggression
Ukraine and the Council of Europe signed a historic agreement on June 25 to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression , marking a major step toward holding Russia’s leadership accountable for launching the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The agreement was signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset during a ceremony in Strasbourg, France – following more than three years of diplomatic efforts and deliberation.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Zelensky thanked the assembly and underscored the importance of justice.
“Everyone responsible for this war must be held to account,” he said. “Every war criminal must face justice – including Putin… the crime of aggression must be recorded, judged, and punished."
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reacted, calling the signing a “historic moment not only for Ukraine, but also for world justice."
The Special Tribunal will be established within the framework of the Council of Europe and will have the mandate to prosecute senior Russian leaders for the crime of aggression – defined as the decision to use armed force against another state, in violation of the United Nations Charter.
The tribunal is intended to close a key legal gap in existing international accountability mechanisms. While the International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Ukraine – it cannot examine the crime of aggression due to jurisdictional constraints. The new tribunal will complement the ICC’s efforts by specifically targeting high-level officials responsible for starting the war.
President Zelensky has long advocated for the creation of the tribunal, emphasizing the need to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials to justice. Ukrainian prosecutors have documented thousands of war crimes committed by Russian forces, including attacks on civilians, cultural landmarks, medical facilities, and reports of torture and forced deportations.
The ICC has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. While war crimes and crimes against humanity can be prosecuted at any level of command, the crime of aggression focuses exclusively on senior state officials responsible for planning and waging war.
In addition to the special tribunal, the Council of Europe’s Ukraine-related work also includes the Register of Damage, an initiative that has already received more than 34,000 claims detailing losses and harms resulting from Russia’s full-scale invasion. The establishment of the register was a significant international effort and the first step towards a mechanism to ensure justice and compensation for Ukraine and its people.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova