Europe Establishes International Claims Commission for Ukraine War Damage
European countries on Tuesday formally launched an International Claims Commission aimed at assessing and pursuing compensation for the vast destruction caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters.
The new body, headquartered in the Netherlands, was established during a one-day conference in The Hague attended by dozens of European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Under the initiative, the commission will review claims linked to damage, loss, and injury resulting from Russia’s full-scale invasion that began in February 2022. Its work builds on the Register of Damage for Ukraine, which has already collected more than 86,000 claims from individuals, companies, public institutions, and the Ukrainian state.
A total of 34 European leaders signed a convention at the conference, formally initiating the commission’s creation. More than 50 countries and the European Union participated in drafting the Council of Europe convention, which will enter into force once at least 25 signatories ratify it and sufficient funding is secured.
Officials cautioned that the establishment of the commission does not mean victims will receive reparations quickly. Key questions remain unresolved, including how any compensation awards would ultimately be financed.
Early discussions have included the potential use of Russian state assets frozen by the European Union, possibly supplemented by contributions from member states. However, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel emphasized that the mechanism itself does not guarantee payments. “The objective is to validate claims that, in the end, must be paid by Russia,” van Weel said. “This commission cannot promise compensation on its own.”
Once operational, the commission will examine claims on a case-by-case basis, determining eligibility and potential compensation awards for violations of international law. Claims may cover a broad range of harm, including civilian casualties, forced deportations of children, sexual violence, and the destruction of homes, infrastructure, and religious or cultural sites.
The commission represents the second stage of an international compensation mechanism for Ukraine, following the creation of the Register of Damage in 2023.
According to World Bank estimates, rebuilding Ukraine over the next decade will require at least $524 billion, nearly three times the country’s estimated economic output in 2024.
That figure accounts for damage assessed up to December 2024 and does not include destruction caused by intensified Russian drone and missile attacks in 2025, which have increasingly targeted energy systems, transport networks, and civilian infrastructure.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine is preparing to file an unprecedented $44 billion claim against Russia for environmental and climate damage caused by Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Read more on The Gaze: Risk but No Paralysis: Why Western States Can Still Use Frozen Russian Funds