Council of Europe Begins Legal Process to Establish Special Tribunal on Russian Aggression Against Ukraine
The Council of Europe has formally launched the legal procedure for establishing a Special Tribunal tasked with addressing the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to European Pravda.
According to the Council’s press office, the decision was adopted by the Committee of Ministers during its annual session on Thursday, reaffirming the organization’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s path toward justice and accountability.
“The Committee of Ministers reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s pursuit of justice and recovery by initiating the process for the creation of a Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression,” the Council said in an official statement.
As part of this move, the ministers mandated Secretary General Alain Berset to lead the legal and institutional groundwork for the tribunal, which will be created within the Council of Europe’s framework based on a bilateral agreement with Ukraine.
This step follows the political endorsement of the initiative secured last week during consultations held in Lviv. The next phase involves formal legal approval in Strasbourg, after which Ukraine and the Council of Europe will sign the founding treaty and the tribunal’s statute, both of which have already been finalized and will not be subject to further revisions.
Once established, the tribunal will function as an international legal body focused on prosecuting those responsible for launching an unprovoked war against Ukraine. It is expected to address not only Russia’s top leadership but also other high-level actors complicit in the planning and execution of the aggression.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has expressed hope that the tribunal will begin issuing its first rulings in 2026.
The initiative is widely seen as a crucial step toward closing a major gap in international criminal justice, given the current limitations of existing institutions such as the International Criminal Court, which lacks jurisdiction over crimes of aggression involving non-member states.
As The Gaze reported earlier, on Europe Day, top diplomats from the European Union and 35 delegations gathered in Lviv to express political backing for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.